WINNIPEG – The No. 3 nationally ranked Manitoba Bisons and UBCO Heat put on a show on Saturday at IGAC, combining for 18 service aces and 110 digs, but when push came to shove, the Herd flexed their depth.
 
Trailing 1-0, the Bisons proceeded to win the next three sets, taking game two of the Canada West quarterfinals 3-1 (23-25, 25-12, 25-12, 25-14) and the series 2-0.
 
Setter Katreena Bentley recorded a career-high six assisted blocks, while right and left side Ella Gray set a personal best with six service aces, just two off the Canada West record.
 
As a team, the Bisons had 12 team blocks, doubling up their opponent in a phenomenal defensive display that epitomized Bisons volleyball.
 
Libero Julia Arnold led the way defensively, tallying 18 digs, while captain Light Uchechukwu added 12. Andi Almonte led the attack with 14 kills, with Gray and Uchechukwu also in double figures.
 
The visitors got three aces from Natalie Funk and two each from Olivia Tymkiw and Hellen Luvizetta Lacava, with the latter leading the way in kills for UBCO, with ten.
 
"I've been happy with my team all year. They've been never say die even when things aren't going well," said Heat head coach Steve Manuel.
 
"We knew we were in for a battle. We play a similar style to the Bisons, tenacious and scrappy, they were just a little bit better at it than we were this weekend. We just weren't able to keep the pressure on straight through. I was really happy with how we played today. We could have tucked tail and gone home early but we came out to battle that whole first set and throughout the match."
 
The Herd will now face Alberta in the Canada West semi-finals at home. They are 13-0 at IGAC this season.
 
The Heat were exceptional at the service line in the first, recording three aces while forcing the Bisons out of transition often.
 
The nation's assists leader Katreena Bentley was held to seven, while thee different UBCO players recorded an ace, including Luvizetta Lacava and Tymkiw, who combined for 11 kills, while Manitoba only had 11 collectively.
 
The Bisons took a 23-21 lead following back-to-back kills from Andi Almonte on a tip into the pot and a middle run from Brenna Bedosky (the latter aided by two Julia Arnold digs, ten overall in set one), but the Heat responded, going on a 4-0 run to take the set.
 
A Tymkiw ace, followed by a Luvizetta Lacava smash off hands from the left ended things.
 
Bentley doubled up her assists total within Manitoba's first nine points in the second set, as exceptional team defence and service pressure led to an early four-point lead. Gray was particularly impressive at the line, dialing up two aces, while she, Uchechukwu and Almonte combined for 20 kills entering the third.
 
"[Bentley] came off as we were going into the second set. She was really intense. All we sort of said was, moving forward enjoy this game. It's going to get better. She's like, yup," said assistant coach and former Bisons national champion setter Michelle Sawatzky-Koop.
 
"It's frustrating as a setter when you're bumping everything and you're trying to run more stuff but you're not getting the balls. She did a masterful job of mentally getting back to 0-0. That's what it was. I think our whole team did. In the second set we started serving and passing better and we were more prepared for the tough serves and we were okay. Katreena helped our whole team. Our feel was better. She stood up with a different purpose, unspoken. She had another spring in her step."
 
The Heat went on a mini run of their own, tying the game at nine thanks to the play of Winnipeg native Abigail Dueck at the service line, which led to two blocks, one from Madison Gardner and one from Korey Jenkins.
 
But the Bisons didn't relent, scoring 16 of the last 19 points in an impressive display.
 
Bedosky had four assisted blocks through two, while the Heat only had six kills in the second, as the Herd were unstoppable in transition, while combining for six total team blocks and a .478 hitting percentage.
 
Arnold kept rallies going with stable defence, including a one-handed dig, while Bentley also kept a point alive with a sprawling dig, leading to an Arnold assist to Almonte, who put home a roll shot into the pot.
 
The Bisons opened up a 6-0 lead in the third, and didn't trail in a 13-point win in the third.
 
Once again the story was team defence and service pressure.
 
Uchechukwu dug a ball off her chest that led to a pass back to her from Bentley for a kill, while Chloe Ellerbrock subbed in and was great at the line, adding a dig at the net that resulted in Almonte's third straight kill.
 
"We've been down this long road together, and I couldn't be more proud of how she's turned out," said Bisons head coach Ken Bentley of Uchechukwu, who he's known since 13U club days.
 
"She's an amazing woman who's a brilliant student, serves UMAC council and has turned into an amazing volleyball player."
 
Arnold was solid as usual, picking up four more digs, and 17 through three, while Uchechukwu had 11.
 
Then, Gray put the set to bed at the service line, recording three straight tear drop aces to ice things.
 
Natalie Funk was stellar for UBCO despite the score. She denied Bedosky twice at the net, and also had an ace to lead the Heat with three entering the fourth.
 
Five assisted blocks in the set from the 5'5" Bentley, and five total team blocks overall paid off big time, as the Bisons broken open a 3-3 tie with a 10-5 run to take a permanent lead and the match.
 
Bentley got up often from the right side, with Bedosky and fellow middle Eve Catojo aiding her thanks to stellar service pressure from the Bisons.
 
Funk continued to be a problem in the middle, consistently finding the right answer to Bedosky's attacks, while adding two kills, and Luvizetta Lacava put in an ace, but a shut down performance on D from all six positions helped the hosts advance to the Canada West semis for the second year in a row.