By Paul Cartledge
EDMONTON – Though the score may not show it, the No.4 University of Alberta Golden Bears earned a difficult straight-sets win (25-21, 25-21, 25-23) against the No.6 University of Calgary Dinos, extending their winning streak to seven games and putting them one win away from a post-season berth, Friday night at Saville Community Sports Centre.
Second in Canada West in kills per set, sophomore outside hitter Taryq Sani netted a game-high 17 kills and three aces, also adding one solo block and one block assist. Fourth-year left side Alex McMullin scored 10 kills while fourth-year setter Luke Brisbane recorded 38 assists.
Senior outside hitter Alex Bader led the visitors with 10 kills, teammate and fourth-year setter Blain Cranston earning 27 assists.
The Alberta victory also marks head coach Terry Danyluk's 394th conference win (394W-85L), surpassing legendary Golden Bears hockey and football coach, Clare Drake (393W-148L-3T), for the most conference wins with the University of Alberta.
Early in the opening set, Alberta constructed a 7-2 run to earn a 10-5 lead, but the Dinos, proving their national ranking, got six straight points to claim the lead.
From then on, it was a battle on the scoreboard, a tie score featuring no less than 11 times during the set but Sani was a force to be reckoned with, notching five kills as well as a humongous solo block midway through the set, following it with two consecutive aces.
The Scarborough, Ont. native got as many combined points on the attack and the service line as the entire Calgary squad did in the first set, Cranston committing his team's fifth service error before fourth-year outside hitter Regan Fathers put a cross-court attempt wide for a 1-0 set lead for Alberta.
The Dinos managed to improve their offence in the second set, scoring 14 kills at a 39% clip, but Alberta eclipsed their efforts, finding 16 kills and making only one error for a blistering 63% attack percentage.
Still, Calgary was only down as much as five points in the set, the Bears simply going point-for-point to stay ahead late in the set, Sani managing another momentous kill off the Dinos' back row to give Alberta the 2-0 set lead.
The two squads continued to battle in the third set, Calgary looking to extend the match when a 7-1 run gave them a 21-17 lead. Yet Sani once again grabbed hold of the game, bookending kills around a block to tie the game at 21-21.
Second-year middle George Hobern then took center stage, blocking a Brett Bolin attack to put the Bears within one point of victory, the Sherwood Park, Alta. native then one-timing a dig by rookie libero Jared Schubert and tapping it over the net to Calgary's undefended back court.
The now 14-3 Bears and 10-5 Dinos finish the two-game weekend series on Saturday, game time starting at 5:00 p.m. MT.