The No. 3 ranked Trinity Western University Spartans defeated the No. 6 ranked University of Winnipeg Wesmen in a classic 3-1 (26-24, 30-28, 15-25, 30-28) Canada West regular season battle Saturday afternoon in Winnipeg.

Trinity Western with the win improves their regular season ending record to 20-4. Winnipeg with the loss ends regular season play sporting a 13-11 record.

Fifth year outside hitter Nicholas Del Bianco led the Spartans with a match high 17 kills and four service aces. Third year outside Ryan Sclater finished with 13 kills. Blake Scheerhoorn led the team in digs with 11 while 6-10 middle Daniel Grant had seven blocks. Winnipeg native Adam Schriemer had 34 assists.

Winnipeg was led by second year outside hitter David Bommersbach's 16 kills. Fifth year outside Tom Douglas-Powell and fourth year middle Brendan Black each had 14 kills. Casey Schouten led the team in digs with 13. Fifth year middle Matthew Dueck was in on a match high nine blocks.

In the early stages of the opening set got the sense that both teams were ready for a battle. Neither teams held more than a two point lead (7-5 Spartans) in the early part of the opening set. The Spartans got back to back kills by Ryan Sclater to put them ahead 16-14 at the technical timeout. The teams waged their battle late in the set with the Spartans staring at set point with a 24-22 lead. Winnipeg got a kill by Douglas-Powell on the next play and took advantage of a Spartan attacking error to tie the score at 24-24. A kill by Del Bianco followed by a Wesmen attacking error gave the Spartans the opening set by a scopre of 26-24.

Winnipeg came out firing ion the second set. The Wesmen opened up an early 8-3 lead and forced the Spartans to take a timeout. The timeout seemed to work as Trinity Western outscored the Wesmen 13-6 to take a 16-14 lead at the technical timeout. Once again the teams battled to extra points all the way to 28-28. The Spartans closed out the set taking advantage of a Winnipeg service error followed by a service ace by Del Bianco to win the set 30-28 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the third set it was all Winnipeg from the start. The Wesmen needing a set win to stay in the match, raced out to a 16-9 lead at the technical timeout. Winnipeg's power hitters took turns scoring points down the stretch as Winnipeg got back into the match winning the third set by a score of 25-15.

The fourth set was once again a battle. A kill by Del Bianco gave the Spartans a slim 16-15 lead at the technical timeout. Trinity Western late in the set had match point staring right at them but a kill by David Bommersbach cut the lead to 24-23 and Winnipeg forced extra points winning the next play to tie the score at 24-24. The teams exchanged points to 28-28 until two consecutive Wesmen attacking errors gave the Spartans the advantage in the fourth set by a score of 30-28.

Both teams have qualified for post season play. The final placings will be decided by the results of other Canada West matches taking place.

Note: Senior Wesmen players Tom-Douglas-Powell and Matt Dueck were honoured in a special pre-match ceremony. Trinity Western's fifth year players Nicholas Del Bianco and Daniel Grant were also acknowledged.