Bisons claim first Canada West crown

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This article was published 09/03/2024 (623 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Bisons are heading to the U Sports women’s volleyball nationals as Canada West champions.

Light Uchechukwu, Ella Gray and Raya Surinx had 15 kills apiece to lead the third-ranked Bisons to a 3-2 (25-17, 25-17, 24-26, 23-25, 15-12) triumph over the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver Saturday night.

The marathon match resulted in the first Canada West title in Manitoba program history.

“We’ve been to (conference) finals and we’ve gone on to win national championships but to win a Canada West title, it’s a big accomplishment,” said Bisons head coach Ken Bentley by phone. “Obviously, it’s a tough league. It’s tough to get this far and it’s very tough to win it.”

Both the Bisons and Thunderbirds entered Saturday’s action having already clinched berths in the eight-team national championship, scheduled for March 15-17 in Hamilton, Ont., but you wouldn’t know it by the impassioned play on both sides.

Manitoba cruised to an early 2-0 set lead and had two match points to win in the third set but was unable to close it out.

How did they manage to perservere?

“I think it’s just our work ethic and just how hard we train and practise,” said Uchechukwu. “We’ve had times where it’s super intense and we keep going. The work we’ve done all year makes the fifth set feel the exact same as the first set.”

First-team conference all-star Lucy Borowski led UBC with 16 kills while second-team all-star Akash Grewal had 13 kills, 10 digs and four service aces.

Morris product Erika Vermette chipped in with nine kills for the defending national champions.

“Beating this (UBC) 3-0 on their home court, it’s almost like wishful thinking,” said Ken Bentley. “We had chances for sure. Obviously we would have taken it but the battle didn’t surprise me. I just felt like, we’re gonna be tested today and we’re gonna have to stay in it and not capitulate.

“I’m just so proud of our group for just being so resilient, just sticking to our guns, playing point by point and not let the frustration of closing out the match any earlier affect how we played. I thought we did a brilliant job of that.”

Manitoba’s Gray, who hails from nearby Surrey, B.C., hit the match-winning kill in the fifth set, added two service aces and was tied with Surinx for a game-high 12 digs. Bisons setter Katreena Bentley had 47 assists.

“Ella battled for sure,” said Ken Bentley. “She found a way to hit match point in the fifth set. I was so proud of her for that swing. We said we have to hit to win and we stuck to our guns and even when we lost (in the third set), I think Light’s first match point was out by an inch. It was a great swing. The main thing was we just couldn’t stop hitting.”

Surinx, named the conference’s player of the year earlier in the week, was seeing her first action since spraining her right ankle on Feb. 10.

“I think towards the end of this match her ankle was getting kind of sore but she hung in there, man,” said Ken Bentley. “For her to come back after almost a month off to play in this final, in this environment, was (amazing). She still hit some great serves. You can’t question that kid’s toughness after this one.”

The Bison, who should be expected to be seeded No. 1 for the national championship tournament, won’t have much time to enjoy their victory. They will fly out to nationals in Hamilton on Tuesday.

“Every game I feel it is gonna be a hard one but we just got to play like Bisons volleyball and keep at playing one point at a time as well,” said Uchechukwu.

WESMEN FALL SHORT: The University of Winnipeg men were denied a trip to the national championship at Saturday night’s Canada West third-place game at UBC.

The Thunderbirds, sparked by 19 kills from Reeve Gingera, rallied for a 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-10) win over the Wesmen to earn the third and final conference berth in the national championship, slated for March 14-17 in Kingston, Ont.

Isaiah Olfert had 21 kills for Winnipeg while teammate Nigel Nielsen added 13.

The conference champion Alberta Golden Bears and the second-place Trinity Western Spartans had already earned a spot in Kingston.