EDMONTON - Already a contest between the top two teams in the country, the No.1 University of Alberta Golden Bears squeezed out every ounce of entertainment they could get, coming back late in the third set to win three straight sets over the No.2 Trinity Western University Spartans to make it victory in five (22-25, 15-25, 26-24, 25-15, 15-13), Friday night at Saville community Sports Centre.
CIS Male Athlete of the Week Ryley Barnes was a monster on the court, netting 26 kills, 11 digs, one ace, and had a hand in five blocks. Third-year left side Ryan Nickifor added 13 kills and one ace while fourth-year middle John Goranson had a game-high 12 block assists to go with two solo blocks. Third-year setter Brett Walsh recorded a game-high 51 assists.
Hailing from Port Coquitlam, B.c., Ryan Sclater earned 14 kills and 13 digs for the visitors, senior outside hitter Branden Schmidt spinning nine kills while sophomore setter Adam Schriemer had 32 assists.
Alberta, who had won 17 straight sets in conference/playoff action dating back to last year's victorious CIS championship, couldn't keep the streak alive to start tonight's game, even though both teams seemed nervous to begin this understandably hyped matchup.
Several service errors plagued a back-and-forth opening set, Sclater getting the last kill off of Walsh and into the large crowd on hand before second-year outside hitter Blake Scheerhoorn put his serve into the net and fourth-year right side Kevin Proudfoot overshot the Spartan side to give Trinity Western the 1-0 set lead.
While the road squad corrected their offence and attacked at a 47% clip in the second set, the Bears continued their struggles from the service line to help the Spartans to a five-point lead at 20-15, Scheerhoorn spinning three kills in a final 7-0 run to give Trinity Western a commanding 2-0 set lead.
The visitors then upped the ante on defence in the third set, netting 5.5 total blocks and forcing more attack errors by the home team who seemed poised to end their night when they were down 24-21, but a serve into the net by Schmidt and a Nickifor kill off the block cut the lead to one, leading to a thrilling rally for the crucial tying point.
With multiple dramatic digs, whether off of fast kills or awkward plays, the Bears put the hometown crowd into a frenzy, Barnes making three digs in the rally before Nickifor put one down the sideline to tie the game at 24.
After third-year outside hitter Tyler Heppell's attack went long, Nickifor, who hails from Sherwood Park, Alta., fired a kill off of Schmidt to keep the defending CIS and Canada West champions in the game.
Feeding off the hometown crowd, the bolstered Bears stormed their way to 11-1 and 18-4 leads in the fourth set, most of the points coming off an impressive defence of 10 total blocks while Barnes had a set-high five kills, including the one that knotted the teams at two sets apiece.
The St. Paul, Alta. native got even better in the final set, scoring an incredible 8.5 points off of seven kills, including three of Alberta's last four when they were down 12-11, and the deciding kill down the sideline into sophomore middle Levi Wolthuis' feet to complete the comeback.
The now 5-0 Bears and 4-1 Spartans will meet again Saturday at Saville Community Sports Centre, game time going at approximately 6:30 p.m. MT.