WOLFPACK MVB WIN FIRST IN REGINA
For Immediate Release: January 9, 2009
Kamloops-The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack have opened the second half of their Canada West Men’s Volleyball campaign on a winning note. Playing in Regina on Friday (Jan 9), the WolfPack (6-5)downed the still winless Cougars (0-11) in three straight sets. The scores were 27-25,25-17,25-23).
“I don’t know if it was the fact we got here at 1 am or not, but we weren’t prepared at the start,” said WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly. “We knew they were competitive and we were scrambly in both the first and third sets.”
Hennelly said they had no real momentum except for the second set. “We talked more in that set and had more of a flow.” He says the turnaround coincided with two things.
The first was the insertion of 2nd year Stefan Savoie (Winnipeg, Man) into the middle position.“He had four kills in six swings and four block assists.” Stated Hennelly. Savoie played the latter part of the second set and most of the third. Savoie, Martin Korsbak (3rd year, Nyborg, Denmark) and Robin Anders (4th year, Kamloops, BC) shared time in the middle position on this night.
The other key was the play of 3rd year libero Kyle Donen (White Rock, BC). Donen had nine digs.“Kyle was a big leader in that second set,” Hennelly explained. “He ran the ball down and ran the floor.”
Canada West Rookie of the Year Gord Perrin (2nd year, outside hitter, Creston, BC) had a team high 12 kills and added seven digs for the number 9 ranked WolfPack. Robin Schoebel (3rd year, outside hitter,Monaco) had nine kills and five digs.
The Cougars trailed by six points late in the first set before going on an 8-2 run to tie the score at 24. The teams traded points and were tied at 25, but a Regina service error and a WolfPack block gave the visitors the set by a 27-25 count. The WolfPack had taken a six-point lead by the second media timeout in the second set and cruised to a 25-17 win to take a two-set lead in the match.
The third set was a see-saw affair in which the two teams, who were never separated by more than two points, combined for 20 tie scores and nine lead changes. The WolfPack broke a late 23-23 tie with a block by Stefan Savoie and Behlul Yavasgel, then secured the match with a Josh Boruck kill.
Regina was led by Christopher Knoop, (5th year, left side, Melfort, Sask) who tied Perrin for the match high with 12 kills and also registered four digs, two assisted blocks, and an ace. Ryan DeCosse (5th year, setter, Brandon, Man) had 27 assists and a team-leading five digs for the Cougars, who drop to 0-11 after the loss.
The WolfPack had a team goal of serving more aggressively and they did that. “We had six aces and four misses per set which is reasonable I thought.” Stated Hennelly.
The two teams play again Saturday night (Jan 10) in Regina.
(with assistance from the U of Regina Sports Information Department)