WOLFPACK TAKE GAME ONE OF BEST OF THREE CW QUARTERFINAL

(Andy Haley (left) and Kyle Donen (in white) celebrate point)

For immediate release: February 12, 2009

Langley BC—The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack have drawn first blood in their Canada West Mens Volleyball best of three quarterfinal.  The WolfPack needed five sets to dispose of the Trinity Western Spartans at the David E. Enarson Gym.  The scores Thursday night (Feb 12) were 25-21,25-20,23-25,22,-25,15-10.

“It was pretty intense on both sides,” said a relieved WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly following the match. “Both sides played some good volleyball. We got up two sets to nothing but then were manhandled by Trinity. But we got the momentum back late in the fourth set and carried it over to the fifth.”

Led by Robin Schoebel (Monaco) with 24 kills, nine digs, four aces and three blocks the WolfPack out served and out blocked the Spartans on their way to the five set victory. Thompson Rives had the edge on the Spartans at the net with 12 blocks to Trinity Westerns six and the end line with 12 service aces to the Spartans five.

Chaim Schalk (Red Deer, Alta.) with 11 kills and six digs, Marc Howatson (Victoria) with nine kills, seven digs and two aces and Josh Doornenbal (Edmonton) with eight kills and three blocks led the Spartans. In addition to Schoelbel the WolfPack had strong performances from Gord Perrin (Creston, B.C.) with 15 kills and Martin Korsbak with 12 kills and a match high eight blocks led the WolfPack.

  Schoebel's serving set the pace in the first set as TRU jumped out to 8-6 and 16-12 leads at the breaks. After Schoelbel's second ace in a row the Spartans trailed by five points, 17-12, but TWU was able to close on TRU with a 4-2 run to trail 18-16. It was as close as Trinity Western would get as Thompson Rivers closed out the set with a seven to five run to take the opener 25-21.

The second set was tight through to the second break with TRU up 16-15. The WolfPack's Robin Anders (Kamloops, B.C.) then had five straight serves to open up a 20-15 lead for the WolfPack, which would prove to be the margin at the end of the set with TRU up 25-20.

Trailing by two sets the Spartans were solid to start the third set. TWU led 8-6 at the first break and 16-14 at the second break. The two point separation was maintained throughout the remainder of the set when the Spartans Doornenbal ended the set, 25-23, with an attack up the middle.

The fourth set started similarly to the third set with the Spartans leading 8-6. Then with the TWU's Doornenbal took an attack off the chest to keep the play alive as the Spartans went out 9-6. The spectacular play inspired the Spartans as TWU went on a 7-3 run to lead 16-9 at the second break. The Spartans maintained the lead to 24-18. Then the serving of Colin Jaggard (Calgary) made things interesting. Jaggard reeled off three straight aces before the Spartans prevailed 25-22 to force the fifth set. That gave them some momentum until Martin Stenderup (2nd year, setter, Ribe, Denmark) came off the WolfPack bench to make some key serves.

The final set was close early at 4-4. Then TRU outscored TWU 8-3 after three straight kills by Gord Perrin to give the WolfPack a 12-7 lead. From there it was side out ball as TRU took the set 15-10.

Hennelly credited Stenderup and Colin Jaggard (4 th year, setter, Calgary, Alberta) for some key performances late in the victory. 

Schoebel had 24 kills to lead the TRU attack. He had eight errors on 49 attempts. He also had nine digs.  Gord Perrin (2nd year, outside hitter, Creston, BC) had 15 kills with Martin Korsbak (3rd year, middle, Nyborg, Denmark) adding 12 kills. Jaggard had 54 assists and four service aces.

The Spartans had only 12 service errors compared to the WolfPack’s 23 rd.  The smaller confines of the Trinity gym might have had something to do with it.  But Hennelly said his team got used to it as the match rolled on.  “I want to thank the high schools of Kamloops (South Kam and Sa-hali) for letting us use their facilities to practice in the last couple of days, “ he said. “It really helped”.

 Hennelly says the game changed when Trinity started to set Schalk the ball more in the third and fourth sets and he hit the ball extremely hard.  Chalk added 12 assists.  Ben Ball(2nd year, setter, Abbotsford, BC) led that category for Trinity with 25.

Hennelly was happy his team drew first blood in what he expects to be a long series.  “It was a huge win. We have some leeway now. Having to come from behind is a lot of pressure. You have to think about not making mistakes instead of taking it a point at a time. That’ll be our strategy for game two on Friday (Feb 13).”

Match Notes: TWU finished at 17.7 percent (43-27-113), while TRU finished at 25 percent (62-27-139)...the Spartans and the WolfPack split the season series. The Spartans winning 3-0 and the WolfPack winning 3-1 at TWU in January...

(with assistance from the Trinity Western Sports Information Department)