Bisons are best

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This article was published 16/03/2025 (237 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Julia Arnold and Katreena Bentley dropped to their knees as teammates rushed the court to surround them.

The rest of the group followed the step-sisters, embracing one another as they dropped their heads in disbelief.

The Manitoba Bisons were national champions at last.

The Bisons, backed by a home crowd of 3,300, capped an outstanding season with a 3-1 (25-20; 25-19; 24-26; 25-16) victory over the University of Montréal Carabins in the U Sports women’s volleyball championship final at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Sunday.

It’s the program’s eighth national championship and first since 2014.

“That moment is so emotional because it’s a final sigh of relief,” said Bentley, who is the daughter of head coach Ken Bentley. She, along with Arnold and Light Uchechukwu, played her final match at the university level.

“The whole season, we have to hang on. We can’t let up for a second. So that final moment was like, we finally get to breathe, and we finally did it.”

Third-year left side Raya Surinx led a potent offensive attack with 23 kills, while Uchechukwu and fourth-year outside hitter Andi Almonte supplied 11 and 10 kills, respectively.

Surinx, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, strung together performances of 11, 25 and 23 kills during the Bisons’ three wins. She played through an ankle injury as the team settled for bronze last year.

“Our focus throughout this whole tournament was just playing how we play and not changing it. At the beginning of the year we say, ‘Play this game exactly how you would play the national championship in March,’ and that’s exactly what we did today. It’s Bison volleyball, over and over again.”

The Bisons, who went 22-5 this season, dropped just two sets en route to the championship.

“This team has just blown me away for the last three or four years, and I’m just so proud of this group, and they’ve been such a treat to coach,” said coach Bentley. “They just worked so hard and stayed in this thing and did it with joy and purpose.

“They’re the team everyone wants to play for. That’s how they play. And I’m just so proud of what they represent for our program and for this university and for Bison Sports.”

Fourth-year middles Eve Catojo and Brenna Bedosky were forces in the championship final, logging 17 blocks combined, while the team collectively accrued a .357 hitting percentage on a night Manitoba ruled at the net.

“Brenna, in that first set, just blocked everything. She was all over the ball. The things we talked about, she was ahead of them and it showed. That was really tough for (Montreal),” said coach Bentley.

“And then Eve, she’s our spiritual warrior, I kid you not. And she’s been playing with a bad back the last month. So for her to play the way she did for three days in a row— she told me yesterday, ‘Coach, just wheel me out on Sunday. I’ve got to finish this up.’ She played with a fair bit of pair, but she was just a beast.”

Florence Cloutier had 17 kills, while Florence Lapointe had 12 for the Carabins.

Montreal earned its spot in the final after an emotional 3-0 victory over No. 1 Alberta in Saturday’s semifinal, but needed to muster the same energy less than 24 hours later against an opponent of the same calibre with an entire crowd against them.

Earlier on Sunday, the Pandas defeated the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 3-1 (25-21; 28-30; 25-22; 25-18) to win bronze, while the McMaster Marauders triumphed over the Saint Mary’s Huskies 3-2 ( 21-25; 25-23; 14-25; 25-18; 15-6) in the fifth-place contest.

“Took a while to get here, but I’m so glad I came back,” said Uchechukwu. “I thought last year was my last year, and then how it ended last year, I was like, there’s no way.

“Wanted one more try. I’m so happy I decided to come back.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca