By Paul Cartledge
EDMONTON – In a case of déja vu, the University of Alberta Pandas were up two sets to none for the second-straight match, only to have the No.2 University of Calgary Dinos fight back to force a fifth set, but on this night, the road team claimed the final set (15-25, 9-25, 25-22, 25-14, 15-9), Saturday night at Saville Community Sports Centre.
Alberta kill leader Kory White recorded a team-high 18 kills while sophomore outside hitter Erin Corbett added 16 and two aces. Rookie outside hitter Julia Zonneveld put up 10 kills and three aces as senior setter Eryn Orysiuk netted 48 assists.
Third-year outside hitter Kate Pexman did the most damage for the Dinos, notching 24 kills in the win while fourth-year setter Leah Shevkenek led the team with 40 assists and 21 digs.
The Pandas came out swinging in the opening set, earning an 8-2 run with three of their first four points coming from the service line, scoring another ace in a late 6-1 run for a 22-13 lead and the fifth of the set coming from Zonneveld, her volley falling just beyond the reach of rookie middle/outside hitter Kenzie Vaandering to earn the 1-0 set lead.
Alberta continued to strike hard in the second set, White netting six kills to help the Pandas build a 10-4 lead and although Calgary earned the first point after the technical timeout, Alberta replied with nine straight to take a commanding 2-0 set lead.
That momentum carried into the third set, the Pandas taking a three-point lead but the resilient Dinos erased it almost as quickly, the two teams dueling on the scoreboard until an 8-2 run by Calgary broke an 11-11 deadlock to make it 19-13.
Recalling last night's war of attrition, Alberta did their best to finish off the opposition as soon as possible, putting up six straight points to knot things up at 20. Yet despite coming back twice more to tie things up again at 22-22, Dino third-year middle Beth Vinnell and Pexman netted kills before Shevkenek and senior middle Jaylynn Moffatt combined on a block to get Calgary back in the game.
Momentum now on the side of the visitors, the road team opened with a 9-1 run and never looked back, taking advantage of a struggling Pandas squad, attacking at only a 3% clip and perhaps best indicated by a Kory White attempted tap over the net falling short, giving the Dinos the set point and bringing the match to the fifth set.
Sensing Friday's disappointing loss despite coming back from a 2-0 set deficit, Calgary struck quickly in taking the final set, a 6-1 run earning a 7-3 lead while Alberta continued their attack woes, committing nine in the shorter set, the last two bookended by Pexman strikes that got help from good bounces but still ended the match with the Dinos earning the split.
The 9-9 Pandas will take a "bye" week before hosting the Saskatchewan Huskies in the first weekend of February while 13-3 Calgary heads to Kamloops, B.C. to play the Thompson Rivers WolfPack.