EDMONTON - In their tenth-straight win, the No.1 University of Alberta Golden Bears swept their new CIS rivals, the MacEwan University Griffins, in a straight-sets victory (25-13, 25-21, 25-22), Saturday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre.

With a game-high 17 kills, fourth-year left side Ryley Barnes added to his nation-leading kill total, now sitting at 154, and netted one ace, five digs, and four block assists for 20 points. Third-year setter Brett Walsh recorded 33 assists to put his CIS-leading total at 413.

The injury-depleted MacEwan squad had fourth-year outside hitter Damon Holmen lead with six kills on the gamesheet, third-year setter Matt Mohler adding 15 assists.

In the first-ever weekend of conference action between the two municipal rivals, the win improves the Bears' perfect record to 10-0 while MacEwan remains winless at 0-10.

Holmen's early struggles in the opening set were indicative of the Griffin's troubles throughout the first set, the Taber, Alta. native committing four straight attack errors to help put Alberta up by five while MacEwan collectively blitzed with a -28% attack percentage.

On the strength of seven total team blocks and some R & R, in the form of Barnes and third-year left side Ryan Nickifor, Alberta attacked at a 32% clip, the two combining for nine kills with Nickifor putting one off of Holmen to give the Bears a 1-0 set lead.

Yet the Griffins, aided by some shaky serving by Alberta, erased a four-point deficit in the middle set, using an 8-3 run to even pull ahead of the defending CIS champions but the visiting team's elation was short-lived, as the depth of the Bears' squad combined for a 10-3 run, fourth-year middle John Goranson scoring the penultimate point on a clever yet forceful two-hand push just over the net before Barnes put one off the block into the back corner for a commanding 2-0 set lead.

Helmed by former Alberta assistant coach and player, Brad Poplawski, MacEwan continued to stick around in the final set, but the third-best blocking team in the nation added 6.5 more in the final set to pull away from their crosstown opponents, Goranson again getting the second-last point with style, taking a one-handed set from Walsh before achieving maximum vertical lift for an intimidating and accurate kill just beyond the net.

Barnes finished things with his fifth kill of the set, a precision attack just near the right sideline and lasered to a foot in front of sophomore libero Jared Schubert.

The Bears head out on the road for the rest of November, their first stop in Vancouver to face the UBC Thunderbirds before a "bye" weekend and another stop in Kamloops to square off against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack. MacEwan will spend next weekend on the "bye" before hosting the Saskatchewan Huskies.