WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Wesmen women's volleyball team is learning lessons, its coach says, and it's not just about how to finish off a fifth set.

The Wesmen missed a chance to close things out in four sets Saturday and instead dropped a 3-2 (17-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-16, 15-12) decision to the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack in a Canada West women's volleyball match Saturday at the Dr. David F. Anderson Gymnasium.

The Wesmen were up 2-1 in sets but couldn't find a way to slow down the TRU outside attack of Yevgeniya Nyukhalova and Rachel Windhorst in the pivotal fourth set. Nyukhalova had six of her match-high 19 kills in the fourth, while Windhorst added five of her 17 as the Wolfpack (4-4) forced a fifth set.

Six first-year players saw action for the Wesmen on Saturday night and U of W head coach Diane Scott said her young team needs to seize the opportunities that come earlier in matches.

"It's not just the five-setters, it's consistency throughout the whole match," Scott said. "For ourselves to be in a position where we're up 2-1 and to not respond in the fourth set and let a team that we just controlled and dominated and played really well against come back in on unforced errors (is disappointing). … When you're giving teams that many unforced errors it's hard to win."

Ashleigh Laube had three kills in the fifth set for the Wesmen (1-9) and led the team with 13. Emma Parker added 12 kills on 36 swings, as well as 13 digs.

First-year Taylor Kleysen was the Wesmen's most efficient attacker, notching six kills on nine swings, while adding four block assists. Kleysen moved into the middle blocker position just last week and Scott was pleased with what the converted right side gave her team.

"I'm really happy with Taylor Kleysen tonight," Scott said. "She did a good job at the net blocking, she scored us some points and someone who's only played middle the last week and a half but she came in there and she's doing the job that's expected of her."

The Wesmen will close out the first semester of Canada West play with a home-and-home series with the Brandon Bobcats Tuesday November 28th in Winnipeg and Friday December 1st in Brandon.