CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's volleyball team returned home for the first time in six weeks and gave the raucous crowd inside the Jack Simpson Gym plenty to cheer about before coming up just short in a four-set loss to the No. 1 Alberta Pandas on Friday night, falling 25–12, 23–25, 25–17, 25–22.

Alberta set the tone early, taking control of the opening set by capitalizing on Calgary attack errors and applying steady pressure from the service line. The Pandas' block disrupted the Dinos' offence, allowing the visitors to build a quick lead. Calgary showed brief improvements in ball control, but Alberta stayed in command and closed the set 25–12.

The Dinos responded in the second set with a more connected and composed effort. Long rallies and several lead changes defined the frame, with neither team able to pull away. Calgary executed well late, forcing errors and finishing at the net to take the set 25–23 and level the match. Sophia Hansen played a key role with a strong all-around performance.

Momentum swung back to Alberta in the third set. The Pandas re-established control with balanced attacking and consistent pressure. Calgary extended rallies and improved defensively, but struggled to string together points. Alberta took advantage and claimed the set 25–17.

The fourth set was the tightest of the match. The teams traded points throughout, with Calgary staying within reach late. Strong serve-receive play and timely kills kept the Dinos alive, but the Pandas were steady down the stretch. Alberta put together a late run to close the set 25–22 and seal the win.

Head coach Christine Biggs pointed to both positives and areas for improvement following the loss.

"I think there are some areas that we did a very good job tonight and some areas that we were capable of more," Biggs said. "It's just finding the trust that those things will help us be successful, and it's always hard coming out of a break too. We are finding our rhythm a bit more as we are coming back into the season."

Hansen led Calgary offensively, finishing with 18 kills while contributing on both sides of the ball. Biggs praised her ability to respond under pressure.

"I think she did a really good job of managing the situation she was in," Biggs said. "She bounced back when things weren't going well and stepped up when we needed her."

The Dinos will face the Pandas again on Saturday at Jack Simpson Gym. First serve is set for 4 p.m.

-UC-