WOLFPACK WVB START 2ND HALF WITH LOSS
(Richelle Walton reaches for ball: She was "Subway Leader of the Pack")
For Immediate Release-January 16, 2009
Kamloops, BC—The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Women’s Volleyball team know that every match in the 2nd half of the Canada West Season is a ‘must win affair’. As they resumed league action for the first time in 2009, it seemed that the Volleyball Gods were looking away from them. The WolfPack fell to 4-9 on the season as they lost a tough five set decision to the visiting Brandon University Bobcats. The scores were 25-23,22-25,25-20,20-25,15-8 in favour of the Bobcats, who moved to 10 and 3 on the season.
“It could have gone either way tonite,” said WolfPack Coach Cal Wohlford. “If we could have got a handle in that first set…we let it go. Not coming out in the fifth set like we did in the fourth was what really hurt us.”
The WolfPack came out in that fifth and decisive set by giving up the first three points and five of the first seven.
“It was a battle. Both teams played well and you had to earn it. “stated Bobcat Coach Lee Carter. “I think we have won a bit more so when it came to crunch time we thought it was possible for us. They (TRU) played pretty well all the way through but a couple of things at the end cost them."
The Bobcats got four key points from Crystal Cornish in the fifth set to get the victory. Cornish,(3rd year, left side, Winnipeg, Man) wound up with 17 kills to lead Brandon. Ashley Creighton (5 th year, middle, Brandon, Man) had 11 kills. Janelle Wotton (2nd year, libero, Brandon, Man) had 19 digs while Becky Young (3rd year, setter, Souris, Man) had 43 digs.
“Wotton was the difference in the match,” felt Wohlford. “She came up with some key plays.”
TRU was led by Anna Dyakiewicz (2nd year, outside hitter, Burnaby, BC) and Richelle Walton (5 th year, outside hitter, Langley, BC). Both had 15 kills. For Walton, it was one of her finer matches in the last two years.
“I know that time is running out for me,” said Walton. “Being in your fifth year, you can’t have any fear. Really, I just want to give it all I have and be an inspiration for my teammates. I want this (to play) so bad. If we can get on the same page, there is no reason why we can’t beat Brandon tomorrow.”
Wohlford had praise for Walton. “She started focused and really moved the ball around. I think she froze up in a couple of sets but got her groove back.”
The WolfPack will have to improve their service if they want to win the rematch Saturday (Jan 17). They drove the ball into the net 14 times during the match. “Serving is such a powerful thing, “Walton assessed. “ It really is the first attack. If you can find it…and we did at times tonite, it could turn the game around.”
Lindsay Niminiken (4 th year, setter, South Slocan, BC) had 26 assists. Stine Christainen (2nd year, setter, Ribe, Denmark) had 23 assists. Dyakiewicz hads 15 digs, Walton and Laura Plouffe (5 th year, libero, Sherwood Park, Alta) had 14.
Wohlford knows that the key to his teams second half success will depend on one thing: being consistant. “ It’s the biggest part of the game. We are fighting that all the time. I’ve been honest with them (his players). Everyone across Canada says we aren’t consistant. We play well for a set or two but we can’t sustain it. We have to get over that hump.”
SIDE OUTS: The match Saturday begins at 5 pm at the Tournament Capital Center. The WolfPack Women have two more home matches before the end of the regular season: February 6 and 7 th against the University of Regina.