By Larry Read

TRU Sports Information

KAMLOOPS, BC: The winning streak is over for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men's volleyball team.  The WolfPack, ranked ninth in the most recent USPORTS top 10 rankings fell to the top team in the nation: the Trinity Western Univeristy Spartans. 

The Spartans won in straight sets on Friday night (Feb 16) on the Warner Rentals court at the Tournament Capital Centre. The scores were 25-17, 25-22, 25-16.

The Spartans move to 21-2 on the season. The WolfPack fall to 11-12. Despite the loss, TRU solidified a playoff after UBC downed the Saskatchewan Huskies as well on Friday night. The loss snapped TRU's winning streak at a franchise best eight.

Trinity was led offensively by Jesse Elser (1^st year, outside hitter, Calgary, AB) and Eric Loeppky (2^nd year, outside hitter, Steinbach, MB)  with nine kills apiece. Charlie Bringloe (3^rd year, outside hitter, Waterloo, ON) had the most kills for TRU with six.

For the second straight match, Thompson Rivers was playing without Tim Dobbert.  The fourth year outside hitter from Aichelberg, Germany was out with an injury.

SYNOPSIS

The WolfPack and Spartans, like two prize fighters battled punch for punch from the get go.  The biggest point lead was three in the first set as Trinity Western went into the break up 16-13.  They went onto take the set 25-17.

In the second set, the WolfPack kept it close and led 11-9 at one point thanks to some key serves by Cole Keddie (4^th year, outside hitter, Edmonton, AB). TRU was up 15-11 but the Spartans rallied to tie it up before TRU scored to go into the technical time out up 16-15.  The Spartans again went on a late rally to win 25-22.  Jesse Elser had six kills at that point of the match to lead Trinity   TRU's main weapons were Charlie Bringloe (3^rd year, outside hitter, Waterloo, ON) and Jordan Foot (5^th year, middle, Prince George, BC) with four kills apiece.

In the third set,  Trinity Western went on a pair of 3-0 runs to reach the technical time out leading by eight (16-8).

The  Spartans had six team blocks to TRU's four.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: 

click here

KEY STATS:

SCORES BY SETS:

TRINITY WESTERN:      25   25   25   ---3

TRU:                           17   22   16   ---0

Trinity Western

Jesse Elser:  9 kills in 11 chances,  4 digs, 2 block assists

Eric Loeppky: 9 kills in 16 swings, 5 service aces, 3 assists, 4 digs, 2 block assists

Pearson Eshenko: 7 kills in 10 opportunities, 1 service ace, 2 block assists

Jacob Kern: 7 kills in 18 swings, 2 digs,

Adam Schriemer: 28 assists, 3 digs

TRU

Charlie Bringloe : 6 kills in 21 attempts,

Randy Grundmann (5 th year, outside hitter, Winnipeg, MB) 5 kills in 12 swings, 4 digs

Jordan Foot (5^th year, middle, Prince George, BC) 4 kills in 9 chances, 2 block assists

Anton Napolitano (2^nd year, setter, Victoria, Australia): 17 assists, 6 digs, 3 block assists

Landon Currie (1^st year, libero, Vernon, BC) 5 digs

RECORDS:

Trinity Western:  21-2             TRU:11-12

QUOTES:

TRU head coach Pat Hennelly:

On Match:  " I think we did a good job in the first and second set. But we were tight and didn't get that looseness out.  In the first set, Trinity missed a lot of serves and we hung around a bit which we talked about trying not to do. That has kind of been our one weakness in this stretch of 2018, we tend not to start pushing the other team. We sit back and wait."

Service errors costing TRU in the third set: " We did a good job serving before.  We talked about serving tougher. We actually served softer and missed more. That is something we have to address that.  I think in the third, number 8  (Eric Loeppky) coming out and hitting a couple of hard serves rattled our guys. We have to do a better job of regrouping. I don't think they did a lot of different things in the third set. We just didn't pass very well."

Coaches Video Post Game Interview:  click here

Spartans head coach Ben Josephson (11^th year):

On Match: "It was a lot of fun. They are hard to score against and I think that is what we saw in the second set. We made some great shots but they made some great defensive plays. They did a couple of things in the first set that were really hard. Their middle players were great and the connection with Anton was good.  They passed so well in the first set."

What was the difference in the match: " Their two best outside hitters were out. Without Dobbert and Mullaney (Josh, 2^nd year, Calgary, AB). They have been carrying load during the winning streak for them. That puts a lot of pressure on a young setter.  It puts a lot of pressure on their middle players. We were able to really concentrate on those two. That made it really hard on the outside guys."  We were able to compress on the players that are out there. Charlie (Bringloe) is a great player on the right. Randy (Grundmann) is a great player on the left but that isn't the lineup they have been building a rhythm with.

Coaches Video Post Game Interview:  click here

UP NEXT:

Both teams will go at it again on Saturday (February 17) on the Warner Rentals Court at the Tournament Capital Centre. Game time is 6:45 pm.  Webcast on Canada West TV will begin around 6:35pm.

The WolfPack will honor their three graduating senior players before the match: Grundmann , Foot and Alex Cassels (East St. Paul, MB).

OF NOTE:   The "TRU Bookstore/McDonalds Leader of the Pack Player of the Match" was:  Foot.