Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – With their season almost certainly on the line, the MacEwan Griffins women's volleyball team conceded a 2-0 lead to the visiting Regina Cougars on Saturday afternoon.
Then, they roared back to win the match 3-2 in another scintillating five-set thriller between the teams as MacEwan completed a weekend sweep (23-25, 17-25, 25-18, 25-14, 15-12).
"Just tons of grit," said head coach Chris Wandler of how his team rallied for the win. "We were tired after that fifth-setter last night and I think everybody found another level, especially in that fifth set.
"Alyshia (Bryks) was on fire, Arden (Butler) came to play, P (Payton Shimoda) had a phenomenal game the entire match."
Shimoda tied the program record with 53 assists, matching the best single game setter performances in the Griffins' Canada West history – Rebecca Martin's 53-assist effort in 2015 and Kylie Schubert's 53 in 2020. She also added three service aces.
"She's the motor of the team," said Wandler. "Everybody draws off her energy, her desire and her willingness to just want to win a match. Everybody looks at her and just wants to do it for her. She puts so much into it every single day and every single contact. Everybody just looks up to her.
"That's a tremendous accomplishment and well deserved. She's set a few records in her time here."
With their first weekend sweep of the season – Saturday's win following Friday's 3-2 triumph – the Griffins improved to 2-12 and are now just two games back of UBC Okanagan (4-10) for the final playoff spot in Canada West with six games remaining in the regular season.
Regina falls to 4-12, but also remains in the mix with a chasing pack also including Calgary (4-12) and Brandon (2-12).
Bryks led the Griffins with 17 kills – including five of them in the fifth set – adding three blocks, two aces, nine digs and 20.5 points. She had the final kill of the night, hammering home a cross-court stunner on MacEwan's second match point opportunity.
Alyshia Bryks puts it away!
— GriffinsWVB (@GriffinsWVB) January 26, 2025
Another great fifth-set performance from Bryks gives @MacEwanGriffins a 3-2 comeback win over @ReginaCougars for the weekend sweep!#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/3J1ixu9mWL
"I'm not sure," she said when asked about her play in fifth sets after also coming up big in the final moments on Friday. "I feel like it's just the moment and the intensity of the game."
Both Kara Frith and Butler added 13 kills, while rookie middle Evangeline Zeyha chipped in 11 kills. And with four blocks – to go along with eight kills – middle Anika Buys now has a team-leading 34 blocks on the season, just one shy of Mckenna Stevenson's single season rookie record, set in 2015-16.
Regina had the lead the entire first set before MacEwan clawed back to tie it 21-21. But the Cougars got the advantage out of a 23-23 tie when Zeyha was called for taking too long to serve and ended it on a Butler attack error.
The Griffins traded points with the Cougars in Set 2 and led 13-12 on Zeyha's kill in the middle, but then Regina went on a thorough 13-4 run to take what seemed to be a 2-0 stranglehold on the match.
Alyshia Bryks and Evangeline Zeyha present a towering double block in the middle on Saturday (James Maclennan photo).
That's when MacEwan had a stunning reset, looked like a completely different team and began to dominate.
"I think we just dialed in," said Bryks of the turnaround. "We refound our focus. The coaches were always there to support us, too. Yeah, they're tough on us sometimes but that's because we needed to push ourselves forward."
In Set 4, it was close early before the Griffins gained a three-point advantage and reached 20 first on a Regina service error. Then, in a match-defining moment, on what seemed to be a sure Cougars point off a tip, the ball was kept alive and Frith sent a backwards prayer over her head on third touch that hit the tape and barely made it to the other side. Regina was then blocked at MacEwan went up 22-17, never looking back.
This is what resilience looks like.
— GriffinsWVB (@GriffinsWVB) January 25, 2025
What a save from Kara Frith! And @MacEwanGriffins blockers Alyshia Bryks and Anika Buys finish it off.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/ROv1s1cVIN
"We had lots of little moments like that where we may have thought we were out of it and then just one little defensive play gave us lots of hope," said Wandler. "That's just one example of lots during this match."
With momentum on their side, the Griffins had a no doubter fourth set, going up 20-11 off Butler kill and putting it away on a double Bryks-Buys block.
The block is there!
— GriffinsWVB (@GriffinsWVB) January 25, 2025
The @MacEwanGriffins force a fifth-and-deciding set with a dominant 25-14 win in Set 4.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/Kx3JnUcqha
Regina gained a 4-0 early advantage in the fifth set, though, forcing the Griffins to again dig deep, going on a 5-1 run of their own to level the match. Then, they just wouldn't be denied.
Buys' quick attack in the middle gave them an 11-9 lead before Bryks' attack ended it.
"It was amazing," said Bryks. "I'm so proud of the team for showing up. I knew we could do it.
"It definitely puts us in a good mood to continue playing," she added. "It feels good. I think it was a good thing for us this weekend. It really helps us build our confidence again."
It certainly won't be easy as the Griffins visit Mount Royal (9-5) next weekend and Manitoba (12-4) after that. They'll finish at home against Calgary Feb. 14-15.
"We're still in it," said Wandler. "We have a few weekends left in our season and we still have a chance to make it into a Play-In game."
Following Saturday's game, members of the MacEwan 1979-81 teams were inducted into the Griffins Wall of Distinction. The group won the first nationals medal in MacEwan Athletics history, claiming back-to-back CCAA silvers in 1980 and 1981, as well as winning two-straight ACAC Championships.
Members of the 1979-81 MacEwan women's volleyball teams were inducted into the Griffins' Wall of Distinction on Saturday. They brought along cardboard cutouts of late teammate Kym Walstrom, who passed away in 2021, and late head coach Ed Redden, right, who passed away in 2018. A moment of silence was held for them during the ceremony (James Maclennan photo).
