Box Score Written by: John Gaudes

WINNIPEG  - Playing as a team, and living up to the playoff pressure, the #5 Manitoba Bisons women's volleyball team won their best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal series over the #6 Alberta Pandas - taking a four setter on Saturday, February 15 at Investors Group Athletic Centre (U of M campus).

Manitoba wins the series 2-0 and joins UBC, Trinity Western and UBC Okanagan in the Canada West Final Four.

Manitoba was led again by their outside tandem of Rachel Cockrell and Taylor Pischke. After combining for 30 kills in the first game, they combined for 38 in game two. Emily Erickson added nine pivotal blocks in the middle.

Alberta got 15 kills and eight digs from Meg Casault in a losing effort. The Pandas struggled at the net, though, as Manitoba out-blocked them as a team 13 to five.

"Everybody played well, I was really pleased that we were able to repeat a high level of play again tonight," said Bisons head coach Ken Bentley. "Obviously we have great respect for Alberta… we expected nothing less than their best today, and they gave it to us."

"We were just prepared for a fight again and we collectively fought hard and played very well."

At the start, the Bisons looked as composed as they did in a strong game one finish 22 hours earlier. Cockrell and Pischke showed off from all over the floor, with service aces, attacks on the outside, and digs in the back row. Pischke especially was great, recording seven kills on 11 attempts in the first set, which Manitoba would take 25-18.

Alberta worked harder in the second to get the ball to their power players, but an 8-1 run late in the set with Brittany Habing on serve busted it wide open again for Manitoba. The 25-14 set win also saw outstanding net presence from Erickson, who had firm hands for seven blocks in the first two sets.

Noting this, Alberta made an effort to go away from the Manitoba block in the third. Thanks to this and a four kill frame from Casault, Alberta opened with a lead and kept it, winning 25-19 to force a fourth. In that fourth, though, Manitoba was right back to their scrambling defence. Jumping out to an early lead, it was Pischke who closed the door - her three kills in the last six points sealed a 25-16 set win and the match.

The Canada West Final Four will be played in Vancouver at top-seeded UBC. For Manitoba, it begins on Friday, February 21 at 10 p.m. CST. against #3 Trinity Western.