SOCHI, Russia -- Matt Dunstone of Winnipeg split his two matches Saturday at the world junior curling championships.

Dunstone got off to a rough start, losing 7-6 to Kyle Smith of Scotland in an extra end, but bounced back to win 5-3 against the Czech Republic's Marek Cernovsky and improved to 3-1 at the tournament.

Dunstone -- along third Colton Lott, second Daniel Grant and lead Brendan MacCuish -- was in control against Scotland for most of the game, but Smith forced the extra end with a deuce in 10 and stole a point for the win.

Against the Czechs, Dunstone again took control, scoring a deuce with hammer, and holding Cernovsky to singles.

"Great team effort," said Dunstone, who shot 96 per cent in the game. "The guys made it easy. They made my shots easier, so that's probably why the percentage is so high. We're getting better each and every game, and that's a good thing for us."

Corryn Brown's Kamloops, B.C., rink continued to struggle at the women's tournament, losing 9-3 to the hosts.

Brown's team of third Erin Pincott, second Samantha Fisher, and lead Sydney Fraser are now winless through three matches.

"That was a tough one to take for sure," said Brown. "But hopefully we get the next couple going and gain some momentum.

"It was just a couple of missed shots here and there, that's kind of where the game turned around. We're just not coming out of the right end of the shots."

Brown will get a chance to enter the win column Sunday with a match against undefeated Japan (3-0). The Canadian men will take on Sweden's Patric Mabergs (2-2).

Norway leads the standings on the men' side at 4-0, followed by Scotland (3-0) and Canada. Scotland tops the women's side at 4-0, followed by Japan and the Czech Republic (2-1).

 

Bobcats ousted in semis

QUEBEC CITY -- After upsetting fourth-seeded Alberta in the opening round, the tournament host Laval Rouge et Or was at it again on Saturday night and qualified for the title match of the CIS men's volleyball championship thanks to a thrilling five-set semifinal win (15-13 in the fifth) over the No. 1-ranked Brandon Bobcats.

In Sunday's national final, Laval will face the No. 3 McMaster Marauders, who swept Western in three sets in the early semifinal. Brandon will face Western for bronze at 1 pm.

The Rouge et Or lost 3-1 to Trinity Western in last year's championship match.

Laval's victory over Brandon signaled the end of an 18-year reign by Canada West teams atop the CIS men's volleyball world. Canada West schools had won every Tantramar Trophy since Laval triumphed in 1994.

 

Barclay leads UBC

SHERBROOKE, Que. -- The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds won their sixth consecutive Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's volleyball title Saturday after a three-set victory over the Alberta Golden Pandas in the championship game.

With the win, UBC tied the CIS record for most consecutive women's volleyball championships, joining Winnipeg (1983-1988) and Alberta (1995-2000). The Thunderbirds finished the year on a 25 match winning streak.

UBC's third-year outside hitter Lisa Barclay of Brandon was named the championship tournament's most valuable player. Earlier, he No. 4 Trinity Western Spartans captured a bronze medal with a 25-18, 25-20, 25-13 win over the No. 3 Ottawa Gee-Gees.

 

-- The Canadian Press

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 3, 2013 B11