Uchechukwu Lighting it up for U of M

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This article was published 30/01/2024 (909 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Bisons have used an impressive cast of performers to propel their rise in the U Sports women’s volleyball rankings during the 2023-24 season.

For instance, left side Raya Surinx’s superstar exploits have made her one of the leading candidates for the country’s player-of-the-year honours while setter Katreena Bentley has been play-making at an all-star calibre and libero Julia Arnold is second in the conference in digs.

Yet, the No. 3-ranked Bisons, coming off a bye week, wouldn’t be where they are without the stellar play of fourth-year left side Light Uchechukwu.

Last time out, Uchechukwu hammered a season-high 17 kills to help Manitoba rally for a 3-2 win on the road against the top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds.

“Light has been absolutely impressive,” said Bisons head coach Ken Bentley. “And full credit to her. Last summer, she really re-dedicated herself to her personal fitness and her approach to training, both on and off the court, and she has played, by far, the best volleyball she’s ever played.”

Uchechukwu is averaging 2.69 kills per set, good for 12th in the conference, and her quiet leadership has been a stabilizing force for a young Manitoba side. The squad’s camaraderie has been invigorating.

“There’s been great energy coming into this year from everyone and I’m just enjoying the grind more and the fitness aspect of it and just wanting to win — even though I’ve always wanted that,” said Uchechukwu. “I think you see the environment coming into this year has been very different than other years.”

Uchechukwu’s veteran savvy was evident in the win over UBC.

“She was 17 for 41, with only two errors,” said Bentley. “She served five points in the fifth set that were absolutely essential to us winning. The pressure was on there. She just served ropes in there for five straight points that got us from being down 9-6 to when she was finished serving, we were up 11-10.”

The 15-3 Bisons, who face Winnipeg in a two-game, home-and-home series on Friday and Saturday, are not planning to take the unranked Wesmen lightly.

Winnipeg is 6-12 in conference play and currently outside of a playoff spot.

“We do not sleep on that team,” said Bentley. “They are going to battle and be super tough for us. So, we are not going in there unaware or unprepared, I can tell you that.”

Bentley is loathe to compare his current team with Manitoba’s last national championship squad in 2014, which included the likes of Rachel Cockerill, Taylor Pischke and Brittany Habing. There are, however, similarities.

“I’m borrowing the kind of structure that we used for that (2014) team a little bit just because it fit what we were capable of doing,” said Bentley. “So, there are some parallels there in terms of system, but other than that it’s a totally different group — different teams, different personalities, different strengths. But I would say the commonality is a really high level of fitness.”

The Manitoba-Winnipeg showdown in women’s volleyball isn’t the only big clash between rival schools.

Other highlights of the weekend’s action include the No. 10 Winnipeg men taking on a very tough Manitoba volleyball squad in a home-and-home series slated for Friday and Saturday.

Another must-see showdown involves No. 6 Manitoba and unranked Winnipeg in men’s basketball on Thursday and Sunday.

It will be the first meaningful game between the teams since the Wesmen upended the favoured Bisons in last spring’s Canada West basketball semifinal to earn a berth in the national championship tournament.

“You always have the rivalry week with the Bisons circled on the schedule,” said Wesmen forward Donald Stewart, who is averaging 11 points and 5.1 rebounds in conference play. “Obviously, after how last year ended and with how close we were all year, and then culminating in the semifinal last year, this year is extra special in that way. It’s always fun to play those guys.”

Both teams are 11-5 and in the heat of the battle for a spot in the 12-team post-season tournament.

“We’ve got a lot of a lot of big bodies out there and this game will be a tight one,” added Stewart. “It’s going to be every rebound, every defensive interruption — all of those are going to be really meaningful. It should be probably a pretty physical one.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca