HAMILTON – It's the start of the fourth set at the Burridge Gym at McMaster. The No. 1 ranked Manitoba Bisons volleyball team took a 2-0 lead in their nationals quarterfinal match against No. 8 Saint Mary's, but the Huskies battled back to steal the third in extra points.
 
Looking for an early edge in the fourth, team captain and Player of the Game Light Uchechukwu stepped up.
 
She and middle Brenna Bedosky combined for an assisted block, as the Bisons took a 1-0 lead, and eventually went up by five. But the set wasn't a given. The Huskies clawed back, narrowing the deficit to one at 11-10.
 
Cue Uchechukwu.
 
The fifth-year senior, playing in the last, and most important tournament of her Bisons career, turned the Lights on to the tune of eight kills in the fourth, and a game-high 18 in the match.
 
She had back-to-back kills as part of a 6-0 run, giving the Bisons a 17-10 lead, and her side surrendered just five more points the rest of the way.
 
Uchechukwu also put home the cross-court game-winner on an out of system pass from libero Julia Arnold, and setter Katreena Bentley found her early and often in the contest.
 
"I tried to keep it simple, just like what [head coach] Ken [Bentley] has told me the last 13 years," said Uchechukwu, who smashed home kills from everywhere on the court, including the back row where her power was on full display.
 
"On the [game winner], I was thinking high and deep. Don't get greedy. That was all I was thinking. I knew there was going to be two [defenders] on me at all times."
 
The veteran hitter's performance was critical. Manitoba had lost dynamic playmaker Andi Almonte to injury midway through the game, and Player of the Year Raya Surinx didn't see any action, still recovering from a lower body injury initially suffered three games before the post-season.
 
Other players like Ella Gray (five aces), Eve Catojo (seven kills, game-high .438 hitting percentage) and Brenna Bedosky (seven kills, one ace) also stepped up, but it was Uchechukwu who set the tone for the Herd.
 
She hit .500 with five kills in a dominant 25-16 first set win, and when she was needed the most, Bentley went her way.
 
Even if Uchechukwu's first attempt was denied, which happened a few times in the fourth, Bentley went right back to her. Their trust and chemistry were pivotal not only in the match, or the season, but all through the duo's long tenure as teammates and friends.
 
When Uchechukwu – a Lagos, Nigeria native – moved to Canada (when she was six with her sister and parents Patrick and Happiness), she was looking for ways to immerse herself in the community.
 
Her parents were working seven days a week to provide, and Uchechukwu had free time to burn.
 
That's when volleyball, and Bentley, along with Arnold and others came into her life.
 
From her early teenage years to present day, Uchechukwu spent countless hours on the road as part of the Junior Bisons program. She, Arnold and Bentley won provincial championships galore, and they also took home a national title at the 17U level.
 
That chemistry and trust built every year, and the life-long friends and teammates have now been to back-to-back appearances in the national semi-finals at the U SPORTS level.
 
All this being said, when the Bisons needed a big point, it's no surprise that Bentley – who had 40 assists and set a new CanWest record with 983 on the year – turned to Uchechukwu.
 
"I've played with Light for so long that it feels like I'll never have to play without her," said a visibly emotional Bentley when asked about what Uchechukwu means to her.
 
"As Light's graduating this year and I'll be returning next year, it doesn't really feel real that there's going to come a day that I don't play with Light. I'm just so thankful for all the moments that we've had together, and the trust that we've built year after year, and practice after practice together. The relationship is something that I'll cherish forever."
 
"I just love Katreena so much and she knows that," added Uchechukwu.
 
"I have so much respect for her and all that she does, because there's so much pressure on her, and she takes it like a champ. She's literally a baller and I respect her so much."
 
Uchechukwu's play was synonymous with how Manitoba's operated all year, with humility and consistency, not thinking too far ahead, living in the moment.
 
And it was that same message that assistant coach Michelle Sawatzky-Koop hammered home pre-game in the locker room.
 
"I want to make sure you walk through that gym with your shoulders back," said the Bisons alum, a two-time Player of the Year, national champ and Olympian.
 
"You guys know how to set, you know how to pass, you know how to dig. At the very least you're going to re-set after every rally, and you're going to have the purpose to re-do it again, and again. That's why this team wins. Because you're humble enough to be reminded. Every set you win, every play, remind yourself again. Play with humility and with hard work."
 
Their coach set the scene, and the Bisons executed.
 
Even when they were down, even when Almonte got hurt, they didn't relent. In the case of the latter, homegrown product Chelsea Siebenga stepped in and stepped up.
 
The second-year right side recorded a career-high eight digs and also had three kills in just two sets.
 
Offensively, the Herd went on numerous runs in the match, including six straight to take the first set 25-16, as well as five in a row to secure the second.
 
Then in the fourth after giving up a set, they opened up a 5-0 lead, thanks in part to the play of Ella Gray at the service line. She had a game-high five aces, while the Herd had 11 overall.
 
"The third set, we just missed a couple of serves in the 20s. Other than that I thought the fourth set was really strong. We rotated a couple of times, and I got [Uchechukwu] in the front row early, which I thought was important for our team," said head coach Ken Bentley.
 
"She did a great job and helped us get out to a good jump. I thought we really needed that after the third set. After that we just played Bisons volleyball. We cracked on with the business at hand, and it was great. Nice and steady just like how we like to play."
 
Manitoba will now play Alberta in the national semis tomorrow at 5 PM CT. The two teams split a pair of games at the end of the regular season, with the Pandas' victory coming in the rematch, where Surinx was originally injured.