CALGARY, AB – The third-ranked Calgary Dinos finished a five set battle after being up 2-0 to the fifth ranked University of Manitoba Bisons (25-16, 25-15, 23-25, 27-29, 15-11) Saturday afternoon at the Jack
Simpson Gymnasium.

What was expected to be a grueling match between rival Bisons and Dinos, started off with the University of Calgary easily controlling the first two sets of the match.

The Dinos won the serve and pass game for the first two sets, allowing them to run the offense they wanted and closing out the with a 27% and 45% kill efficiency each set, respectively. These offensive stats closed the sets at 25-16 and 25-15 with the Dinos in complete control of the match.

The Bisons responded, down 2-0, with a total line-up change, putting veteran middle Erin Nieuwenburg on the right side and libero Nicole Hall into the match. This change served the Bisons well as they gained passing stability and began to stop the Dinos offense. Veteran power hitter, Sarah Morrissete, stepped up to lead the Bisons to a 25-23 victory in the third set with 18 kills after the third set alone.

The Bisons carried the momentum gained from the third set to lead 16-8 at the second technical time out. The Dinos made a change of their own, putting in second year Laura Wilson, which made an immediate impact as she put up 4 consecutive skills. The Dinos chipped their way back into the match after being down 17-10, but lost the fourth set 29-27 with several unforced errors down the stretch.

The Bisons jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fifth, blocking the Dinos twice in a row and getting a service ace. But the Dinos continued to battle with crucial contribution from power hitter, Lauren Perry, who closed the night with an impressive 22 kills.

Sarah Morrissete finished the night with an astounding 28 kills, followed by teammate Kate Wasyliw's 17 kills. These two teams meet again for battle Sunday, Nov. 16 at noon in the Jack Simpson Gym.

-UC-