WINNIPEG — The Calgary Dinos (2-0) got one step closer to the second round of the Canada West playoffs with a 3-0 win (25-17, 25-22, 25-22) over the Manitoba Bisons (0-2) on Friday night at the University of Winnipeg's Duckworth Centre.
Like they've done all season, Calgary's performance on the block was a huge factor in their win. The conference's top team with 193 total blocks, they added 17 assisted and three solo in the straight sets win over the Herd.
Lincoln Baines, who was Canada West's best, with 97, led the squad with five assisted blocks, while Hamish Hazelden, who was third in the conference with 268 total kills, added a solo block and four assisted and also led the match with 19 kills.
"I think they served really well," said Bisons head coach Arnd 'Lupo' Ludwig postgame. "The second set they didn't miss one serve. That's why we struggled a bit with passing. If you don't have a good pass it's easier to read the setter and then there's the good blocking there. We had our moments where we served well, just not good enough. Serve-receive both ways was the main factor tonight."
All six Dinos starters had at least one kill in the first set, as setter Tomas Sorra distributed the ball well for a Calgary team that hit 42 percent overall. Middle Darian Koskie contributed two blocks for his side, but it wasn't enough to stop the balanced Calgary attack. Hazelden also came alive, with five of his six kills coming after the technical timeout.
"I hadn't seen [Hazelden] before, but I saw him yesterday for the first time, and I saw him last week a couple of times on video. He's a pretty good player," said Ludwig. "He's tall, he's big, he hits the ball hard and jumps well. We hadn't seen a player like this, 6'9" in our division yet. Same with their middles, they were a little bit better than what we had faced so far this season."
Eight assisted blocks were the story in the second set for Calgary. Manitoba fought back from 16-13 down at the technical to tie the game, thanks to service aces from left side Owen Schwartz and middle Brendan Warren, while left side Spencer Grahame – who tied for the Manitoba lead with ten kills – was efficient from off the left with three kills in four points. Calgary however, scored the set's final three points thanks to two blocks, one of which was solo by middle Louis Kunstmann.
Calgary burst out to an 11-5 lead in the third, but the Bisons battled back with a strong showing at the net. Warren had two assisted blocks as Manitoba took a one-point lead at 17-16. A diverse Calgary attack was too much as the game reached its latter stages though, and once again the Dinos finished things off on the block, with Hazelden and Baines handing their side the match in a back-and-forth finish.
Manitoba now prepares for a critical bout against UBC Okanagan tomorrow. The Heat are 1-1 in pool play, as are the Winnipeg Wesmen, so there's still plenty to play for if Calgary wins.
