CALGARY – Four players finished with 10-plus kills as the No. 1 Trinity Western University Spartans overcame an early upset scare from the No. 8 University of Calgary Dinos in 3-1 win for TWU Friday in a quarter-final match at the U SPORTS Women's Volleyball Championship from inside the Jack Simpson Gym.

Fueled by a frenzied home crowd, the Dinos jumped out and took the opening set, before the Spartans battled back and outlasted a Calgary comeback effort; 20-25, 25-16, 25-10, 25-21.

Rookie Regan Ingram led the Dinos with 13 kills to go with five digs and a pair of blocks. Kenzie Vaandering also finished in double figures on the night with 10 kills.

Stella Rains served up 29 assists on the night to guide the offence.

First-year Michela Alongi finished with a game-high 16 digs, and fellow rookie Sheridan Coninx had four of the Dinos eight aces on the night.

Meaghan Mealy led the Spartans with 13 kills, while Savannah Purdy registered a double-double of 12 kills and 13 digs.

Despite going up against the top seed in the tournament and the No. 1 ranked team in the country, the Dinos showed no fear and opened the game on the front foot. An early kill from Vaandering made it 10-7 Calgary, before Coninx's first ace brought the crowd to its feet. After TWU closed to within one at 16-15, the Dinos rattled off five in a row, capped by an ace from Ingram. Calgary would hold that lead the rest of the way in surprising the Spartans with the early win.

"I was out in another world after that first set," Alongi said of the Dinos crowd inside the Jack Friday. "It was so exciting to see the level that we can compete at and especially with all the teams supporting us. We felt very loved on the court – from all the Dinos community and with each other, we were just connected. That was one of the first times we've felt that level of that all season and I'm really excited to see what tomorrow brings."

After Trinity Western responded with wins in the second and third, the Dinos made things interesting in the fourth. An early ace from Deserae Unger gave Calgary an early 7-3 lead. After the Spartans answered back with a run of their own, the Dinos continued to show their fight. Unger and Rains teamed up for a block to start the run before Coninx served up three consecutive aces, forcing both TWU timeouts to bring the Dinos within two at 18-16 and once again bring the crowd to its feet. Calgary stayed neck and neck the rest of the way, but couldn't quite get over the hump.

"One of the things that has been phenomenal for us all year is we have been in this Alberta pod where we've been playing fifth- and sixth-year players all year. It has really challenged our young athletes to find different ways to be successful," Calgary head coach Christine Biggs said. "I think some of the errors right now is an effort to expand their repertoire and get to that level where we can rely on certain shots in certain moments. We've come so far in that and we continue to prove that we're growing."

The Dinos now move to the consolation semifinal, with first serve scheduled for 3 p.m. from inside the Jack Simpson Gym, where they will go up against either No. 4 Toronto or No. 5 McGill.