Box Score EDMONTON - In a Top 10 men's volleyball match-up between the No. 3 University of Alberta Golden Bears and the No. 9 University of Manitoba Bisons, the road team came back twice to grab victory in five sets (25-18, 25-11, 22-25, 23-25, 16-18), Saturday, November 23 night at Saville Community Sports Centre.
 
Freshman outside hitter Adam DeJonckheere netted 16 kills and 10 digs for the visitors while sophomore outside hitter Devren Dear had 15 kills and second-year setter Luke Herr had 40 assists.
 
Third-year left side Ryley Barnes spun a game-high 20 kills for the Bears, sophomore RS/LS Ryan Nickifor cracking the double-digit barrier with 10 to go along with a match-high four aces. Second-year setter Brett Walsh earned 43 assists and two aces.
 
A tight first set began proceedings between the two squads before a 6-0 Alberta run fueled by senior middle Matt McCreary pushed the Bears ahead, the home team claiming the first set on two straight attack errors by rookie outside hitter Josh Goossen and a Kevin Falconer service error.
 
Success from the service line was crucial to the second set, Alberta grabbing seven aces in total as Nickifor recorded four straight in an 8-1 run, McCreary nabbed two in a 6-0 run, and Walsh put up his first of two in a 4-0 run for a commanding 2-0 set lead.
 
The Bears struggled in the third set, however, matching those seven service aces with seven service errors, not to mention a negative attack percentage of -8.7%. Though the Bisons had their fair share of troubles as well, earning just as many attack errors (eight) and taking eight service errors of their own, but coming up big on the block with five to make the difference and cut the set lead in half.
 
The 3-0 run by Alberta to start the fourth set was the largest lead either team could get in a back-and-forth affair highlighted by Barnes' set-high of eight kills before the Bisons notched their only three-point lead with the final point off a net violation by Nickifor.
 
Using their momentum, Manitoba spotted themselves a 7-4 lead in the final set but the Bears fought back with a 6-1 run to tie the game at seven and grab a 10-8 lead, only to have the Bisons come back to even terms with the next two points.
 
The intensity grew larger as the teams drove past the 15-point barrier but Alberta attack errors going long helped Manitoba find four of the last five points to claim the upset and the weekend series split.
 
The 6-4 Bears finish off the 2013 half of their season with a two-game series on the road against the Winnipeg Wesmen next weekend while 5-5 Manitoba returns home to host the Trinity Western Spartans.  

 

Canada West men's volleyball

No.3 Alberta Golden Bears vs. No.9 Manitoba Bisons

Final:

            1      2      3      4      5         Final

UofA-   25    25    22     23     16           2

UofM-  18     11    25    25     18           3

AB kill leader: Ryley Barnes with 20  

MB kill leader: Adam DeJonckheere with 16