Posted: Nov 21, 2015
CALGARY - The Dinos women's volleyball team fell 3-2 to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in their Saturday night matchup (20-25, 25-16, 25-18, 21-25, 9-15). It was their second loss of the weekend to the Huskies, falling 3-1 on Friday night.
The Dinos record is now 4-8 coming out of the weekend, and stay in sixth place of the Canada West standings.
"Overall I think we fixed up our services as the game went on, which was a huge struggle for us yesterday," said Dinos' Laura McManes. "But once again we just didn't turn on enough and turn over enough balls by the end of the game."
Huskies Emma Copping led the game with 16 kills of their 61, followed second by 15 kills from Ali Woolley of the Dinos 47, finishing with a .157 and .150 per cent respectively. Jina Barker snagged 47 of the Huskies 53 assists, and Erika Myhre had 35 of the Dinos 44. The Huskies also led in digs, Jennifer Hueser walking away with 25 and Brianna Solberg with 17 for the Dinos.
The Huskies held the first definitive lead of the game, going into the first technical 16-9. The Dinos were able to paw their way back and tie it up at the 18-mark, but a fumble by the Dinos front line sealed their first-set win, 25-20. Like the set before, the teams kept the second set close - always within a few points - but this time the Dinos would maintain the lead gong into the second technical, 16-15. The Dinos managed to maintain their lead and took the second set, 25-16.
"We stuck to our game plan throughout the whole game," said McManes, adding they were solid of their defence.
Neither team could take a lead in the third, seesawing on the scoreboard. Coming out of the third technical 16-14, Janna Ogle sealed the victory for the Dinos off her kill. Like Friday night, the game would be pushed to a fourth. The Huskies managed to take a strong lead early on in the fourth, and went into the technical 16-13. The Dinos made their comeback late in the fourth, and only trailed 23-21, but Dinos' Ali Woolley would hit the ball into the net and the Huskies would take the set.
It would go to a fifth.
"I think their defence that helped them win tonight," said McManes. "They dug a lot of balls and we just weren't able to put it away and away."
In the final set Huskies' Josie LeDuc would put them on the board with a kill down the centre, and the Dinos world get their first point when Huskies' Emily Humbert fumbled with the ball in front of the net. The Huskies maintained their lead until the end, finishing the fifth 15-9 and the Dinos fell to the paws of the Huskies once again when Copping took the final kill of the game.
The Dinos will play next on Jan. 8-9 on the road when they take on the Regina Cougars and then return home for a two-weekend homestand against the Trinity Western Spartans and the MacEwan Griffins.