Written by Danielle Doiron
WINNIPEG – The University of Manitoba Bison men's volleyball team defeated their hometown rivals, the University of Winnipeg Wesmen, in five hard-fought sets on Thursday, January 29 at Investors Group Athletic Centre as part of the 24th annual Duckworth Challenge.
The victory gives the Bisons a 12-9 Canada West regular season record. Winnipeg lost their fifth-straight game and now stands at 12-9 over the season.
Bison right side Devren Dear led both teams with 25 kills. Manitoba's Luke Herr had a match-high 50 assists, while Winnipeg's Joshua McKay had 49 assists and Tom Douglas-Powell with team-high 24 kills.
"It was always a close game," said Bison head coach Garth Pischke. "It was a great crowd and a great atmosphere. It's always a good match, so the win gives us bragging rights in the city for the year, but it's just good to win matches like that that are so emotional."
The teams were neck and neck in the opening set, until Manitoba middle Josh Crellin scored on a kill and then on a service ace to help give the home side a 13-8 lead midway through the set. The Bisons almost doubled that lead thanks to well-placed serves from Manitoba co-captain Ken Rooney and solid blocks from Crellin to take the set 25-16.
The Bisons started off strong in the second and took an early 7-3 lead. The Wesmen responded, scoring six points in seven rallies to claim a 9-8 advantage. But Winnipeg couldn't hold off Manitoba's hard-hitting offense. Dear found the court with two strong kills to help the Bisons claim the second set 25-16.
Momentum shifted in the third. Instead of scoring on consecutive rallies, the teams went point for point and posted seven tie scores before the technical timeout. The visitors took the lead after Winnipeg's Taylor Howe served an ace to break a 19-19 tie. Wesmen setter Joshua McKay assisted on two major hits to help Winnipeg win their first set of the game with a score of 25-21.
The tight match continued in the fourth as the teams battled tough rallies for every point. Neither team had more than a two-point advantage any time during the set as the Bisons and Wesmen went back and forth to extended points until Winnipeg clinched the 28-26 set win after two huge kills from Wesmen Douglas-Powell and Matthew Dueck.
The intensity peaked in the fifth set as the teams battled for the win. Both teams' top hitters pounded the court in the close match, but it was Dear's hard kill that sealed the 15-13 set victory for the home team.
The teams face off again at the University of Winnipeg Duckworth Centre at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, January 31.
"I want to be at the point where we play our best all the time," Pischke said. "We're so close to having the chance to host [the first round of playoffs] that we have to play our best."
GAME NOTES: The Duckworth Challenge was started in the 1991-92 season by the late Dr. Henry E. Duckworth (president of the University of Winnipeg from 1971-81 and Chancellor of the University of Manitoba from 1986-92) in an effort to profile the intense but friendly cross-town rivalry between the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba.
The University of Manitoba holds an overall Duckworth Challenge record of 12-6-5 with a 57-39 record in all games and a men's volleyball record of 18-6. The Bisons lead the 24th Challenge 3-0 after winning 3-0 in women's volleyball earlier Thursday night and 2-0 in women's soccer on September 13, 2014.
Manitoba setter Luke Herr took home the Duckworth Challenge Player of the Game award for the Bisons. David Bommersbach won the Player of the Game award for the Wesmen.
The final portion of the Duckworth Challenge takes place at the University of Winnipeg on Friday, January 30 when the Bisons take on the Wesmen in women's basketball at 6 p.m. CST and men's basketball at 8 p.m. CST.