Box Score WINNIPEG, MB – The University of Manitoba Bisons men's volleyball team took down Canada's top team, the University of Alberta Golden Bears, in a hard-fought 3-1 (25-17, 25-17, 15-25, 25-21) victory on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Investors Group Athletic Centre. The game marks Alberta's second loss of the season after a five-set victory against the Bisons Friday night. The Golden Bears have clinched a playoff spot and now sit at 16-2, while the win brings Manitoba to 10-8.
Ryley Barnes led both teams with 18 kills for the Golden Bears. His teammate Reed May put up 17 digs, while
Bison Devren Dear led the home side with 11 kills. The teams went back and forth for the opening points of the match, until Manitoba broke the 6-6 tie off a Golden Panda attack error. From there, the Bisons took off, dominating rest of the set with strong kills from team captain
Adam DeJonckheere and solid digs from libero
Alex Strachan to take the 25-17 victory.
The Bisons started the second the same way they finished the first – by scoring five straight points. The Golden Bears managed to break Manitoba's serve to earn their first point of the set, but couldn't hold back the strong Bison offense. The home side scored four more in a row to take the eight-point lead they rode to win the set 25-17.
Alberta played a completely different game in the third. The Golden Bears opened the set with powerful kills from left side Barnes to take an early 8-3 lead and force Manitoba to call a timeout. But the stop in play couldn't break Alberta's stride. Ryan Nickifor put up four strong kills to keep the Golden Bears in the game with a 25-15 set win.
Manitoba fought back in the fourth, putting up strong offense to lead 16-12 heading into the technical timeout. The Golden Bears retaliated, holding off three Manitoba match point attempts before the Bisons claimed the 25-21 set victory and 3-1 game win.
The Bisons play next on the road against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. CST. The Golden Bears are back home next week to take on the University of Regina Cougars on Friday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. MST.
