WINNIPEG – The No. 7 nationally ranked Manitoba Bisons kicked off their second half schedule in style, sweeping Trinity Western 3-0 to improve to 7-4. The Spartans fell to 5-6 with the loss.
 
It's the first time in 16 years that Manitoba has won three straight games against TWU, following a sweep a year ago. It was a dominant display from the hosts, who never trailed at any point, surging to their fifth straight conference win.
 
The nation's kills per set leader Raya Surinx carried the headlines, recording 17 kills with just two errors, for a hitting percentage of .469. The reigning Player of the Year surpassed 100 career regular season aces along the way, while also reaching 1,003 career kills, becoming just the second Bison in the modern era to amass over 1k.
 
"Her game continues to improve. She's playing really good, care-free, but not careless volleyball," said Bisons head coach Ken Bentley.
 
"She's playing how she did prior to her injury last year. She's back at that level, just with more maturity, and a really steady demeanour. She looks great. She had great control tonight with her serving and her attack, and her defence was phenomenal, but everybody's was. We flat out defended, and that was for sure the highlight for me."
 
Trinity Western got 15 kills from leading attacker Maryn Boldon, while Kaylee Plouffe added nine kills and an ace.
 
Strong service pressure from Manitoba kept the Spartans from running an effective transition offence, and also resulted in seven total team blocks for the Herd in a 25-10 first set win.
 
Middles Eve Catojo and Brenna Bedosky got the block party started with back to back stuffs, and five members of the Herd had at least one block, led by Andi Almonte's three assisted. Ella Gray also added a solo block, as Manitoba had three overall.
 
Serving sub Chloe Ellerbrock entered the match late, and contributed back to back aces in the one-sided set win.
 
The Spartans had a negative serving percentage in the first, but did get three kills from Plouffe, the team's most efficient hitter. Three of her blasts from the left side found the floor, while Boldon added three kills as well.
 
Manitoba once again went wire-to-wire in the second, paced by Surinx, who blasted home seven kills, getting it done from everywhere on the court.
 
Through two sets, she had a hitting percentage of .474 with nine kills and no errors, including two impressive c-ball smashes from the back.
 
The highlight of the set came with the score 11-7.
 
Surinx and libero Julia Arnold both dove to the ground to keep a rally alive, and Surinx eventually ended things with a blast off hands on an out of system assist from Arnold.
 
Entering the third, Arnold had four assists while adding five digs. As a team, Manitoba had 50 digs, showcasing their fitness and consistency with a number of incredible saves.
 
Surinx had a season, and team-high 15, while Almonte added 13 digs, and four different players had at least four, sprinting all over the floor to keep the ball off the court.
 
"Not to sound like a broken record, but we can do that stuff because we're really fit," said Bentley.
 
"Our recovery is immediate and we go and get the next ball. It doesn't phase this team one iota. It's just a product of that work, just to stay relentless, which I thought we did a really good job of today."
 
The Spartans kept battling, led by seven kills from Boldon, along with three from Faye Murray, including an impressive blast from the latter off hands while facing a Bisons double block.
 
Boldon went cross-court from the left to narrow Manitoba's lead to three at 12-9, but continued service pressure from the hosts, and spirited defence gave them back momentum.
 
Surinx recorded her 100^th regular season ace to make the score 16-11 for Manitoba, and she finished the set off with her second ace in a 25-18 Bisons win.
 
A missile off hands from Boldon tied the third set at six early on, but that's as close as the visitors would get.
 
Gray, who had nine kills and hit .500 overall, went cross court to give her side the lead, and Surinx went to work as the set continued, putting down back-to-back line shot kills and a roll shot into the pot to wrap things up.
 
Surinx's 1000^th career kill also came in impressive fashion, as she hammered home an off balance blast cross court from the right.
 
Both teams play again tomorrow at 4 pm CT.