Alberta begins title defence with straight sets victory over Windsor

Back-to-back U SPORTS Player of the Year Isaac Heslinga tallied 15 kills, seven digs and a .452 efficiency, as the No. 3 Alberta Golden Bears got their national championship defence started Friday with a straight sets (25-17, 25-15, 37-35) victory over the No. 6 Windsor Lancers 

Dylan Martens also chipped in 12 kills for the Golden Bears, while Luke Wedell had 35 assists in the second quarterfinal of the 2025 U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship Presented by Sunrise Credit Union at the Healthy Living Centre Gymnasium.

After Alberta conceded less than 20 points in each of the first two sets, the two sides played a combined 72 in the deciding frame as Windsor attempted to force a fourth set. 

OUA Third team All-Star Gustavo Siqueira contributed 11 kills and five digs for the Lancers, and Darian Koskie added eight kills on 11 attempts with just three errors. 

Alberta recorded a .420 hitting percentage in the match, compared to Windsor's .179

With the win, Alberta advances to play No. 2 Sherbrooke in the semifinal on Saturday in a rematch of last year's gold medal game, while Windsor faces No. 7 Western in the consolation semifinal. 

Mikasa Players of the Game

Alberta: Dylan Martens 

Windsor: Darian Koskie