Sixteen kills each from fourth year outside hitter Elizabeth Wendel and fourth year outside hitter Sophie Carpentier led the No. 4 Trinity Western Spartans back to the Canada West Final Four with a 3-1 win over the Thompson Rivers WolfPack at the LEC.
The 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 win gives TWU the best of three series sweep 2-0 over TRU.
With the win the defending Canada West and CIS champion Spartans head to Kelowna for the Canada West Final Four which starts March 4.
The top three teams out of the final four will advance to the CIS women’s volleyball championship in Brandon, Man. March 11-13.
TWU third year setter Nikki Cornwall led the Spartans attack finishing with 37 assists, while rookie Libero Brie O’Reilly finished the evening with a game high 21 digs.
Delta’s Krista Hogewoning had 14 kills, 10 digs and four blocks and Brianne Rauch with nine kills and 11 digs led the WolfPack. TRU setter Katie Woo finished the night with 37 assists and 12 digs.
Attacking percentages were not high in the evenly played match as both teams refused to let the ball hit the floor easily. TRU finished the night with 75 digs, while TWU finished with 67 digs.
Consequently the Spartans hit for only 14 percent (45-24-150), while the WolfPack hit for 11.8 percent (45-27-152).
The two teams matched each other early in the first set. With TRU taking an 11-9 lead after a kill from Amy Norman.
The Spartans responded with five straight points and after a Sophie Carpentier kill had a 14-11 lead and forced the WolfPack into a time-out.
The teams exchanged points with TWU leading 16-13 at the technical break and coming out of the break TRU’s Julia Pakhomenko led from the end line to tie the set at 16-16.
The teams played side-out ball to 22-22. Three straight points by the WolfPack, including an ace from Julia Niemczewska gave TRU the opening set 25-22.
The second set was back-and-forth early as the WolfPack led 14-12 and forced the Spartans into a timeout.
TWU responded with five straight points and after block by Katelyn Devaney and Sophie Carpentier on Krista Hogeworning the Spartans led 17-14.
After an exchange of points, back-to-back kills by fifth year outside Mariel Garcia (Winnipeg) gave TWU a 21-18 lead.
The Spartans extend the lead and tie the match up with a 25-20 second set win.
The WolfPack came out strong in the third set and after a service ace by Katie Woo and a block by Amy Norman and Brianne Rauch, TRU had a 10-5 lead.
TWU subbed fourth year outside hitter Chelsea Tancon and the momentum changed for the Spartans, while Eli Wendel started to heat up for TWU as the Spartans rallied to take a 16-15 lead into the break.
TWU would finish the set on a 20-11 run to take the third set 25-21 and a 2-1 sets lead.
The fourth set was a battle. Once again the WolfPack took the early lead after a Brianne Rauch service ace gave TRU a 12-9 lead and forced TWU into an early timeout.
Out of the break the TWU’s Eli Wendel got going and led the Spartans on a 7-1 run to take a 16-13 lead at the technical break.
From there TWU took control as the closed out the set and match with a 25-21 fourth set win.
The Spartans and the UBC Okanagan Heat have earned spots in the Final Four, while UBC leads Brandon 1-0 and Alberta leads Mount Royal 1-0 in the best of three series.
Match Notes:
TWU finished the night with 15.5 blocks to TRU’s nine…
Wendel would add seven blocks to her totals on the night, while fellow Spartan middle Katelyn Devaney finished the evening with a game high nine blocks…
TWU’s Chelsea Tancon in two sets finished the night with three kills (50 percent 3-0-6), seven digs and one block…
Thanks to Scott Stewart – Sports Information Director at TWU for the info
