Bisons bring out brooms against Cascades

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This article was published 01/03/2024 (933 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Bisons were an unbeaten 14-0 on their home court entering Game 2 of the Canada West women’s volleyball semfinal.

On Friday night, the fifth-ranked Fraser Valley Cascades nearly unlocked the secret to beating No. 3-ranked Manitoba, pushing hosts to the limit before dropping a 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 14-25, 25-19, 15-7) decision to the Bisons before a large, drum-beating crowd at Investors Group Athletic Centre.

Manitoba won the best-of-three series 2-0.

“I think our mindset changed,” said left side Andi Almonte, who provided 10 kills and 10 digs and played a key role in the Manitoba comeback. “We just weren’t doing our best in those two sets that we lost and so when we came back in fourth set, we really just tried to focus on our side and our passing and really try to make our serves and do everything we could to better the ball on our side, which would help our hitters.”

Light Uchechukwu hammered a team-high 14 kills for the Bisons, who got seven kills and 17 digs from Ella Gray and 40 assists from setter Katreena Bentley.

Libero Julia Arnold had a game-high 27 digs.

“They just beat us on serving,” said head coach Ken Bentley of the second and third sets. “We just seemed out of system the whole set. But we fought from behind and I’m just so happy with the fourth and fifth set. We just stayed in it, we didn’t change how we played but we just passed the ball better. We didn’t capitulate on our serving and I just thought we defended like crazy against a really good team.”

Manitoba’s victory clinched a top-two finish in Canada West and resulted in an automatic berth in the U Sports national championship, slated for March 15-7 in Hamilton, Ont. The Cascades could also advance to the nationals by winning next weekend’s third-place game.

“I think we are very even opponents with the Bisons,” said star Fraser Valley left side Gabrielle Attieh, who had a game-high 17 kills. “We came in this weekend knowing there was going to be big atmosphere in here, lots of noise and I think sometimes homecourt advantage can be something, but I believe in my team and I know we can perform even under the highest pressure and the loudest environments. There was such glimpses of unrelenting teamwork and dedication that we showed, even though the fifth set didn’t go our way.”

Lauren Attieh added 16 kills for the visitors.

“We may very well play them at nationals,” said Bentley. “And I told our team that — don’t think you’re done with these guys. We could play them again so you’ve gotta save something, you can’t be too happy just yet. But I think in the fourth and fifth set our fitness played a big role.”

Problematic travel connections plagued the Cascades on their way to Winnipeg for the series. Their flight arrived in the Manitoba capital only 3 1/2 hours before the start of Thursday’s Game 1.

“That was an experience that we had to work through,” said Gabrielle Attieh. “I would never use something like that as an excuse because I think, if anything, it brought our team closer together. Our plane landed around 3:30 and game started at seven (o’clock) so we came straight from the airport to the match. But my team and my coaching staff are prepared for anything that comes our way and we roll with the punches.”

The No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds and No. 7 Alberta Pandas began their best-of-three semifinal series in Vancouver late Friday. Manitoba will meet the winner for the Canada West title next week.

Friday also marked the fifth consecutive game the Bisons were without star left side Raya Surinx, who suffered a sprained right ankle Feb. 10 and has been rehabilitating the injury ever since. Surinx, the conference’s leader in kills during the regular season, could be back in the lineup for next week’s final.

“Raya’s a big player on their team and a key piece, but we know their bench is deep and we came prepared for any variation of the team on the other side,” said Gabrielle Attieh.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca