Paul Cartledge, Golden Bears and Pandas Athletics
EDMONTON – Fighting for home-court advantage in next weekend's quarter-finals, the No.5 Brandon University Bobcats clinched a home playoff date with a tight straight-sets victory (25-20, 25-23, 25-23) over the No. 3 University of Alberta Golden Bears Friday night at Saville Community Sports Centre.
Sophomore outside hitter Taryq Sani netted a match-high 13 kills for the Golden Bears, fourth-year left side Alex McMullin adding eight while fourth-year setter Luke Brisbane recorded 33 assists.
Third-year outside hitter Seth Friesen tallied a dozen kills for the visitors, senior outside hitter Matt Powell also cracking double digits with 10 while third-year setter Reece Dixon led the team with 33 assists and four aces.
With the victory, Brandon improves to 17-6 and can still potentially catch 18-5 Alberta for third in the Canada West standings.
Down 4-3 in the opening set, an 8-2 Alberta run put the home team in a strong position to take the first frame, but in what was a recurring theme throughout the match, Brandon made a comeback, scoring eight straight points, three of them Dixon aces, to reclaim the lead.
The Bobcats were able to meet the Bears point for point to close out the set, third-year middle Mason Metcalf finding a spot in the back left corner for the 1-0 set lead.
Alberta replied by starting the second set with a 5-0 run but Brandon slowly crept up in score, using a short 6-2 run to claim the lead for good. Sani tried to get the Bears back into the set with another thunderous kill that excited the hometown faithful, one of six monstrous swings celebrated by the fans in the set, but his attempt to tie the score at 24 went up and out.
A commanding 2-0 set lead by the visitors threatened the virtually flawless 9-1 record Alberta owned at home so far this season, the Bears again starting the set in strength as they put together a 7-2 run.
Yet once more Brandon kept inching closer and five straight points put them down by only one at 14-15, soon adding a 6-1 run to change the scoreboard in their favour.
This time around, however, Alberta tied the score four successive times, hoping to extend the match to a fourth set but Friesen put a kill off the block to set up match point and after an errant Bear dig popped the ball up towards the net, Friesen confidently put a strike down center court for the upset victory.
Game two of the weekend series goes Saturday, the final game of the regular season for both teams, game time starting at 5:00 p.m. MT.