Wolfpack stuns Bisons women

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This article was published 25/10/2024 (410 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The talent-laden Manitoba Bisons have all the ingredients needed to win the program’s first U Sports national women’s volleyball title since 2014.

Judging by Friday night’s Canada West action, they will not go unchallenged.

Sparked by a 31-kill performance from Turkish newcomer Rida Erlalelitepe and 18 more from Winnipegger Brooklyn Olfert, the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack handed the Bisons a stunning 26-24, 23-25, 25-18, 29-27 defeat at Investors Group Athletic Centre.

Erlalelitepe’s offensive performance was a conference record for a four-set women’s match.

It was Manitoba’s first home loss since being swept by the Fraser Valley Cascades on Feb. 10-11, 2023.

Manitoba, voted No. 1 in a recent conference coaches’ poll, got 21 kills from Raya Surinx and 11 each from Light Uchechukwu and Andi Almonte.

The Wolfpack, voted No. 5 in the poll, held off four Manitoba set points to clinch the victory.

In men’s action, Manitoba got a team-high nine kills from Kai Boyko and 46 assists from Sammy Ludwig en route to a 25-19, 25-23, 25-19 triumph over Thompson Rivers.

“We played OK,” said Bisons head coach Lupo Ludwig. “I think in the first two sets we didn’t play as free and loose (as we wanted) but it’s also the first home game, so maybe that has something to do with it. We did what we had to do to win. We did not shine.”

The Bisons, rated fifth in a pre-season poll of conference coaches, split a two-game regular-season opening series with the host Calgary Dinos last week.

The hosts had trouble with the Wolfpack block but the visitors struggled at the service line, committing 22 service errors including the decisive points to end the second and third sets.

Manitoba, an erratic service team in 2023-24, countered with nine aces and only 13 service errors Friday. Many hours were devoted in the off-season to working on their skills in that department.

“I think it’s paid off for sure,” said Boyko. “Actually last weekend, the first game in Calgary, we were a little too complacent with it but then Lupo said, ‘Look we spent all this time working on it through the summer, which is the main thing we wanted to work on. You guys need to take your risk, I don’t care if you’re missing.’

“Just being able to play free and serve the ball the way we know how to has really paid off so far.”

Thompson Rivers, 10th in the coaches’ poll, got 10 kills from Sam Flowerday in its regular-season debut.

Ten returning players and the coaching staff are still dealing with the aftermath of a Nov. 29, 2023, automobile crash that claimed the life of Owyn McInnis and sent two other teammates, Riley Brinnen and Owen Waterhouse, to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Brinnen has recovered sufficiently to rejoin the team as an assistant coach while Waterhouse continues to recuperate from a serious brain injury.

“(Brinnen’s) happy to be back but obviously it’s been tough,” said Wolfpack head coach Pat Hennelly. “You go from playing to assistant coaching, so credit to him. He’s done a really good job and our university has stepped up and paid him a salary to come and coach and help work in the gym. His goal was to stay busy.”

As for Waterhouse, Hennelly said: “He has very little long and short-term memory. He’s moving better now. He’s actually going to make the first serve of the home opener. He’s been practising serving with a high school team.”

Three Manitobans are part of the TRU roster, including setter Tyson Koop and libero Hudson Rempel of Steinbach and outside hitter Aiden Goetz of Winnipeg.

Hennelly has added nine first-year players and three college transfers.

The 6-5 Koop played three seasons with Douglas College, a school that competes at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association level, before taking a step up to U Sports for his fourth year of eligibility. His fraternal twin brother, Paxton, is a fourth-year middle at the University of Winnipeg.

“I was 5-8 in Grade 11 and kind of sprouted my senior year,” said Koop, whose mom is former national team setter Michelle Sawatzky-Koop.

“That’s how the college thing came up. I kind of grew a bunch and coaches were interested but I didn’t have much film and then the pandemic happened. So I went to college and I had a great four years at Douglas College. Pat (Hennelly) texted me and he said he needed a setter. I took everything into consideration and made the trip last minute.”

The teams return to IGAC today to complete the weekend series. The men’s game is slated for 4 p.m. with the women to follow at 5:45 p.m.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca