Matt Packwood, Brandon University Athletics
BRANDON – The Brandon Bobcats battled back behind an impressive individual performance for a 3-2 (26-24, 21-25, 18,25- 25-16, 15-9) win over the Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday night.
Shanlee McLennan broke a six year-old school record, and most importantly, helped the Bobcats secure the team's sixth straight conference win to remain perfect in 2016. The team now sits with a .500 record for the first time since early November, and is poised for a run at a playoff berth as the team gets set to host Brandon University's first national championship.
As McLennan prepares to end her career as a Bobcat, the Winnipeg product is making an effort to leave her mark on the record books. McLennan notched her eighth ace in the fifth-set, breaking a school record set by former Bobcat setter Becky Young back in January of 2010. What's also impressive is the fashion in which McLennan recorded six of those aces, as they came in a seven-point run in the fourth set, including five in a row. The performance also ties her for second most in a Canada West conference match.
The first set looked like a mirror image of Thursday's first set in Winnipeg, as the two teams traded blows early. It took the Bobcats two tries at set point, before wrapping up the first at 26-24.
The second set was much, the same, but a late surge from Winnipeg gave the Wesmen the set, ending it with eight straight points.
The third set was much the same, as the teams appeared to be evenly matched, but Winnipeg kept firmly on the gas pedal, ending it on a 11-3 run.
The fourth set started on a role for BU. After jumping to an early lead, McLennan went on her miraculous run of five straight aces. After a pair of substitutions helped Winnipeg answer on serve receive, the Wesmen then mounted a run of their own, getting back to within five points at 18-13, but the momentum was clearly on the Bobcats' side as they took it, forcing a fifth.
The fifth started clearly on the side of the Bobcats, as Brandon jumped to an early 8-1 lead. The Wesmen showed some fight, but it was too little too late as Brandon took it 15-9, and the match.
Bobcats coach Lee Carter had praise for his entire team's effort, and also for McLennan's performance.
"Shan serves the ball at an international level. She's one of, if not the top server in our league and she's carried us at times at like tonight when we needed her the most," says Carter.
McLennan was chosen as the player of the game. To go with her eight aces, she recorded a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs. Jodie Baker had 10 kills, while Gillian Leech and Donata Huebert each had 19 digs for the Bobcats.
Winnipeg was paced by Ozana Nicolic's match-high 20 kills, while Sonia Rossy and Tia Borosky each had 20 digs. In her return to Brandon where she played high school volleyball, Jayme Menzies had a match-high 43 assists.
The win gives the Bobcats a six-match winning streak and a record of 9-9, while the Wesmen sit with a record of 6-12. Up next for Brandon is a weekend series at home against the Mount Royal Cougars, while Winnipeg will play a home and home with city counterparts in the Manitoba Bisons.
(Photo courtesy Mackenzie Gerry)