February 24 - It was almost a heartbreaker for the University of Manitoba Bisons womens volleyball team Saturday night. The Bisons fell 3-1 (25-18, 25-21, 23-25, 25-21) to the University of Alberta Pandas in the Canada West championship match, coming away with a silver medal – and a berth to the CIS championships, nonetheless.

“It’s difficult getting out of this league,” said Bisons coach Ken Bentley. “Just to get out of the league is a victory. … Mentally and emotionally I don’t want the girls to be discouraged, because we’ve played a lot of good games this year. We need to keep it in perspective next week. We’ve been national champions more than we’ve been league champions, so we’re not discouraged.”

According to Pandas head coach Laurie Eisler, the excitement of winning Canada West is carrying her squad into next weekend. “We love challenges and for CIS volleyball, the ultimate challenge is those three matches at the CIS championships,” Eisler said. “We’re really excited and just looking to just put it all out there and see if it’s enough.”

Canada West MVP and Pandas hitter Tiffany Dodds topped the night with 18 kills, with teammate Jocelyn Blair trailing not far behind with 16. Manitoba’s Ashley Voth and Sabrina Barnes had 13 kills a piece, while Voth topped night with 14 defensive digs, but none of it was enough for the Herd.

The Bisons got down on the board and seemingly down on themselves early and did not lead once in the first set. The Pandas put out a well-rounded effort from the start, while Manitoba was disorganized and could not rally back in the 25-18 set.

Blair was an offensive force to be reckoned with in the second set, helping her side to a two-point jump at the first technical. The Herd rallied hard and came close in the middle part of the set, but still trailed by two at the second TO. Though Manitoba fought back, Blair and Dodds swung hard and kept the Pandas on top through the remainder of Alberta’s 25-21 set.

In the third, the Bisons used Sarah Morrissette’s offence and Voth’s defence to their advantage and trailed by only two at the first technical. Lauren MacKenzie came in midway through the set and acted as a Bison offensive catalyst, but the Herd again could not crack Alberta’s two-point hold by the second TO. Manitoba took its first jump of the set at the 22-21 mark, but a kill by Dodds and long return by the Bisons put Alberta back on top 23-22 before long. That, too, was short-lived though, as a hard Voth block and stellar swing by Monica Chernichan gave the Herd a much-needed set victory, 25-23.

The rebound proved enough to fuel the Bisons right into an offensive strike to start the fourth set, but the intensity did not last long and the hometowners were trailing by four at the first technical. Erin Nieuwenburg delivered stellar blocking and a few drops to rally the Bisons back again, but another self-destruction left them down by four again at the second TO. Voth unleashed an offensive fury in an attempt to take the game to five, but the Pandas were ultimately too much and took the fourth by a 25-21 score.

Both teams travel to Calgary next weekend – along with bronze medalists Calgary Dinos and fourth-place finishing Trinity Western Spartans – for the CIS championships.

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