Women’s Volleyball
The Spartans women’s volleyball team clinched first-place in Canada West with a straight-sets (25-16, 25-16, 25-19) win over Thompson Rivers Friday at Tournament Capital Centre.
It’s the second consecutive season the Spartans will finish first in Canada West, of which comes after last year’s conference championship.
The loss drops the Wolfpack to 16-7, resulting in a regular season finish outside the top-4 and guaranteeing a road playoff matchup.
Trinity Western was led by Hilary Howe (Calgary) and Savannah Purdy (Victoria, B.C.), as both had 11 kills. Howe had 11 kills in 23 chances while Purdy had 26 opportunities. Dora Komlodi (Calgary) had 27 assists and five digs.
For the Wolfpack, they were led by Kendra Finch’s eight kills and six digs. Olga Savenchuk had seven kills on 19 chances.
The Spartans took the first set getting the technical time out leading 16-9. Howe and Ansah Odoom (Surrey, B.C.) each had four kills for Trinity Western. Howe had nine swings in the set while Odoom had six. Mikaelyn Sych (Airdrie, Alta.) had three kills in six opportunities.
In the second set, the Spartans jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and were up by as many as five (11-6) when the WolfPack called a time out. That seemed to work as the Pack got the next point but was in vain as they then committed a service error to make it 12-7. The Spartans were up 16-11 at the time out. Purdy had five kills for the Spartans in the set in 10 attempts.
In the third set, the teams exchanged points with the teams tied at 10 before the Spartans went on a 3-0 run. The WolfPack battled back to tie it up at 14 with TRU going into the tech time out up 16-15. The Spartans though went on a 3-0 run to move up 19-16. Down 21-17, TRU got a kill from Savenchuk followed by a dump from Abby Spratt to make it 21-19 but that was as close at the WolfPack would get as they fell 25-19.
Men’s Volleyball
The Trinity Western Spartans men’s volleyball team defeated Thompson Rivers in four sets (27-29, 25-14, 25-23, 25-21) Friday at Tournament Capital Centre.
TWU (20-1) has now won 19 consecutive games, while the loss drops the Wolfpack to a 7-14 record. The match also saw Eric Loeppky (Steinbach, Man.) record his 1000th kill in the first set.
The Spartans were led by Jesse Elser (Calgary) and Jacob Kern (Edmonton), as both had 13 kills while Mathias Elser (Calgary) had 12 kills. Derek Epp (Saskatoon, Sask.) notched 46 assists for the Spartans, while Jesse Elser had 11 digs.
Thompson Rivers was led by Nimo Benne, who had nine kills and six digs, while Sam Taylor Parks had nine kills. Charlie Bringloe had four service aces, a block and five digs for the Wolfpack.
Despite the Spartans recording 15 kills in the first set, Thompson Rivers narrowly took the opening set by a 29-27 margin.
TWU then hit an impressive .714 in the second to storm back and take its first set of the game 25-14. The road side then continued rolling, edging out the Wolfpack 25-23 to take a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set.
The Spartans then closed out the game with a fourth set victory, hitting .500 (14-3-22) and winning 25-21.
Track and Field
Seattle –
Trinity Western’s Nick Colyn (Langley, B.C.) ran 8:09.19 in the 3000m at the Husky Classic Friday.
The result gave Colyn automatic qualification into the U SPORTS Championships next month (Mar. 5-7) in Edmonton. He finished 40th overall in the 3000m, with his time just a few seconds shy of Spartan alum Declan White’s program record of 8:05.94.
UP NEXT
Colyn and the Spartans are back at the Dempsey Indoor Centre for Day 2 of the Husky Classic Saturday.
QUOTABLE
Shane Wiebe – TWU Head Coach
“Nick really had a breakthrough today – something we’ve all been rooting him on for. He was just a couple seconds off our school record in the 3000m. It was a fantastic showing as he looked strong the entire race, so it’s safe to say we’re all really happy for him.
TWU RESULTS
DAY 1
MEN
3000 M
40th – Nick Colyn – 8:09.19
Rugby
The Trinity Western men’s rugby team lost 76-10 in a battle with the No. 13-ranked Central Washington Wildcats Friday at the Langley Events Centre | Northwest Field.
A team perennially ranked among the top 15 rugby programs in the United States, the Wildcats earned a convincing victory over a young Spartans side that was hosting a D1A team for the first time in school history.
The Wildcats scored on their very first foray up the field, but the Spartans responded with Keegan Marengo (Edenvale, South Africa) slotting a penalty from in front of the posts to bring the Spartans within two points, 5-3, in the early stages.
However just a few minutes later, CWU put a converted try on the scoreboard to launch an offensive barrage that saw the Wildcats take a 31-3 lead into halftime.
The Spartans earned a penalty try midway through the second half, but CWU continued to carry the play, rolling to a 66-point win.
The loss comes on the heels of three straight wins for TWU, as the Spartans record drops to 4-2 against university competition this year. TWU’s only other loss this year came against D1A No. 4-ranked Saint Mary’s College.
CWU is now 4-0 this year.
The Spartans celebrated Black History Month throughout the evening Friday night. Go to www.gospartans.ca. to see a video featuring several TWU students and student-athletes, as they reflect on what Black History Month means to them.
TWU Scoring
Tries: Penalty Try (1)
Penalty: Marengo (1)
TWU will now prepare for the Western Canadian University 7s Championships, which will be hosted at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium Mar. 6. The Spartans and Wildcats will next meet in the back half of their home-and-home Mar. 28 in Ellensburg, Wash.
ROSTER
1. Ben Graci – Edmonton, Alta. | Nor’westers AA
2. Scott Bowers – New Westminster, B.C. | Riverside
3. Josh Halladay – White Rock, B.C.
4. Nick Halladay – White Rock, B.C.
5. Mackenzie Nordli – Nanaimo, B.C. | Nanaimo
6. James Aalhus – Langley, B.C. | Langley Rugby Club
7. Daniel Clement – Edmonton, Alta. | Edmonton Clansmen
8. Erik Niebuhr (C) – Surrey, B.C. | Bayside Sharks
9. Ethan Kelt – Port Coquitlam, B.C. | United Rugby Club
10. Keegan Marengo – Edenvale, South Africa | Golden Lions
11. Markus Rauch – Abbotsford, B.C. | Robert Bateman Secondary
12. Sam Wegert – Langley, B.C. | R.E. Mountain
13. Nate Schroeder – West Kelowna, B.C. | Mount Boucherie Secondary
14. Ethan Bernardin – Langley, B.C. | R.E. Mountain Secondary
15. Khyree Poole – El Cajon, Calif. | OMBAC Rugby
16. JP O’Gorman – St. Charles, Miss. | Francis Howell Central
17. Nate Lieuwen – Langley, B.C.
18. Jordan Kirk – Surrey, B.C. | Pacific Academy
19. Brian Carlson – Langley, B.C. | D.W. Poppy
20. Ben Adkins – Nairobi, Kenya | Rift Valley Academy
21. Jacob Sousa – Langley, B.C. | R.E. Mountain Secondary
22. Tim Bamgbade – Surrey, B.C.
23. Garrett Shepherd – El Dorado Hills, Calif. | Lindenwood University
