Semifinal: Trinity Western 3 Calgary 2
Dinos-Spartans Stats
by Mark Janzen, TWU Sports Info Assistant
LANGLEY, B.C. (CIS) – For the second straight year the Trinity Western Spartans will play in the final of the CIS men’s volleyball championship thanks to a thrilling 3-2 semifinal win (25-17, 18-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-9) over the defending national champion Calgary Dinos, Saturday night, at the Langley Events Centre.
After losing to Calgary in four sets in the 2010 CIS gold medal game in Kamloops, B.C., the tournament host and fourth-seeded Spartans turned the tables in front of a near-capacity crowd and joined the third-ranked Brandon Bobcats in Sunday’s title match at 6:00 p.m. PST.
The TWU-Brandon matchup will mark the ninth all-Canada West national final in the last 10 years. Canada West teams have captured the last 16 CIS banners, and 32 of the past 35.
Once again TWU was led by Rudy Verhoeff, who had 19 kills and 10 digs, Marc Howatson (22 digs), Ben Ball (50 assists) and Josh Doornenbal (10 kills and 9 blocks). The Spartans replicated their five-set quarter-final win over Alberta on Friday by winning the first, third and fifth sets.
Calgary was led by Vigrass, who had 20 kills, Jay Blankenau, who had 54 assists and Ciaran McGovern, who had 19 digs.
The Dinos will play Laval in the bronze medal match Sunday at 3:00 p.m. PST.
TWU Athletics
Semifinal: Brandon 3 Laval 0
(Brandon advances to CIS final)
Rouge et Or-Bobcats Stats
by Scott Stewart, TWU Sports Information
LANGLEY, B.C. (CIS) – For the first time in school history, the Brandon Bobcats men’s volleyball team is going to the CIS national championship gold medal game thanks to a 3-0 semifinal win (25-20, 25-20, 25-23) over the Laval Rouge et Or, Saturday night, at the Langley Events Centre.
Brandon was led by four-time all-Canadian and 2009-10 CIS MVP Paul Sanderson, who had 18 kills. Kevin Miller added nine kills and Brendan White had eight kills and hit 72.7 per cent.
Brandon’s win ensures they will earn their best-ever result at a CIS championship.
The 2011 final is set for 6 p.m. PST, while the bronze game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
gobobcats.ca
Consolation semfinal: Alberta 3 Sherbrooke 0
Ver et Or-Golden Bears Stats
by Scott Stewart, TWU Sports Information
LANGLEY, B.C. (CIS) – Playing in a consolation game for the first time since 2001, the fifth-seeded Alberta Golden Bears dominated the Sherbrooke Vert et Or 25-22, 25-18, 25-9 Saturday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre to advance to the fifth-place match of the CIS men’s volleyball championship.
Alberta never trailed against Quebec champion Sherbrooke, which returns home with an 0-2 record.
With a CIS medal no longer in the cards, the Golden Bears played a loose, energetic style that overmatched a young and inexperienced Sherbrooke side. Alberta was led by Spencer Leiske, who had a game-high 14 kills while Jay Olmstead had eight kills. Erik Mattson led the team with 10 digs and Simon Lidster had a game-high seven blocks.
bears.ualberta.ca
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Fifty-one universities, 10,000 student-athletes and 550 coaches vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca.