Posted: Feb 13, 2014
SATURDAY
Manitoba 3 Alberta 1
(Bisons win series 2-0)
Pandas-Bisons Stats
by John Gaudes, Bisons Sports Information
WINNIPEG - Playing as a team, and living up to the playoff pressure, the Manitoba Bisons won their best-of-three quarter-final series over the Alberta Pandas, taking a four setter on Saturday 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.
The Canada West Final Four will be played in Vancouver at top-seeded UBC. For Manitoba, it begins on Friday, February 21 at 8:00 p.m. vs. Trinity Western.
GoBisons.ca
FRIDAY
Manitoba 3 Alberta 1
(Bisons lead series 1-0)
Pandas-Bisons Stats
by John Gaudes, Bisons Sports Information
WINNIPEG - Falling early, but showing tremendous resilience, the anitoba Bisons took the first game of their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series against the Alberta Pandas - winning in four sets on Friday at Investors Group Athletic Centre (U of M campus).
Manitoba can clinch the series on Saturday in Match 2, which starts at 6:30 p.m.
Manitoba was led by a strong finish from Rachel Cockrell, who had 16 kills - 14 of those coming in the final three sets. Taylor Pischke added 14 kills of her own, while Jordana Milne's presence was felt at the net - she notched six blocks on the night.
Alberta got solid contributions in the loss, led by Meg Casault with 13 kills. Dione Lang added ten kills in the middle.
Manitoba and Alberta will continue their series at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. If necessary, the third match goes Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
GoBisons.ca
UBC Okanagan 3 Brandon 1
(Heat win series 2-0)
Heat-Bobcats Stats
by Matt Packwood, Bobcats Sports Information
BRANDON, MB – The UBC-Okanagan Heat earned a Canada West Final Four berth after beating the Brandon Bobcats 3-1(29-31, 25-18, 25-23, 25-19) Friday night.
The Heat won the series 2-0 after a straight sets win Thursday.
Five Heat finished in double-digit digs, led by Megan Festival's team-high 19.
Brianna Beamish notched 17 kills and 15 digs. Festival also added 15 kills and three blocks. Katy Klomps added 11 kills and eight blocks.
Shanlee McLennan put up a double-double, finishing with 10 kills and 13 digs. Meaghan Robertson added nine kills and four blocks. Libero Donata Huebert notched a match-high 26 digs, while Kellie Baker put up 36 assists playing her final match after five stellar seasons as a Bobcat.
The Heat will move on to the Canada West Final Four next weekend in Vancouver.
GoBobcats.ca
Trinity Western 3 Regina 0
(Spartans win series 2-0)
Cougars-Spartans Stats
by Mark Janzen, TWU Sports Information
LANGLEY, BC – Thanks to a dominant serving effort that included 12 aces, the Trinity Western Spartans completed a series sweep of Regina in the Canada West quarter-finals with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-19) win on Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
With the win, the Spartans advance to the Canada West Final Four at UBC, Feb. 21-22. The Spartans will face the winner of the quarter-final series between Manitoba and Alberta in next Friday's conference semifinal. The top three teams at the Final Four will qualify for the CIS national championship in Regina Feb. 28-March 1.
The Cougars will now have a week off before hosting the national championship.
Offensively, it was Sophie Carpentier atop the kill chart for the Spartans as she earned a game-high 12 kills to go with three aces. Alicia Perrin had seven kills and five blocks.
Regina's Desiree Ates had a team-high eight kills along with three aces and three blocks while Chelsea Ziolkowski had seven kills and two blocks. Michelle Sweeting had a team-high four blocks as well as four kills.
GoSpartans.ca
THURSDAY
UBC Okanagan 3 Brandon 0
(Heat lead series 1-0)
Heat-Bobcats Stats
by Matt Packwood, BU Bobcats Sports Information
BRANDON, MB – The Brandon Bobcats hosted their first playoff series since 2011, but it was the visiting UBC Okanagan Heat who spoiled the party, winning in straight sets 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-12).
Megan Festival and Brianna Beamish both finished with 12 kills, Beamish adding 11 digs while Lenai Schmidt added 10 digs. Emily Oxland added a match-high 32 assists.
Ryan Watters post-match interview
The Bobcats were led by Shanlee McLennan's six kills, while Victoria Dakin and Alexis Loewen each added five kills. Donata Huebert had 11 digs.
The win gives UBC Okanagan a 1-0 lead in the Canada West quarter-final series. Match 2 goes Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Brandon University's Healthy Living Centre.
GoBobcats.ca
Trinity Western 3 Regina 0
(Spartans lead series 1-0)
Cougars-Spartans Stats
by Mark Janzen, TWU Sports Information
LANGLEY, BC – The Trinity Western Spartans won the opening match of its best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series with Regina, winning 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-20) Thursday at the Langley Events Centre.
The two teams resume their series with the second match set for Friday at 8 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre. If a third match is necessary, it will be played Saturday at 7 p.m.
Sophie Carpentier led TWU with a match-high 14 kills while Alicia Perrin, who moved back to the middle after playing on right side last week, added 10 kills and a match-high eight blocks.
For the Cougars, Desiree Ates had a team-high eight kills and 10 digs while Michelle Sweeting had seven blocks to go with four kills. Leah Shevkenek, who averaged 10.12 assists per set during the season, had a team-high 17 assists.
TWU Athletics
About Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, winning 100 CIS national titles over the last 10 seasons. Comprised of 17 schools from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada West produces numerous major award winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games. canadawest.org / canadawest.tv / @cwuaa on Twitter
A proud member of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).