Spartans Take Quarter-Final Series Lead in Game 1 Thriller

SASKATOON, Sask. – In an intense play-off match the Trinity Western Spartans rallied to defeat the Saskatchewan Huskies 3-2 in the opening match of the best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series Thursday night on the Ron & Jane Graham Centre Court at the Physical Activity Centre in Saskatoon, Sask. The 23-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22, 15-13 win gives the Spartans the 1-0 series lead.

Fourth-year outside hitter Emmett Graham with 19 kills, 10 digs, and two blocks, and Jefferson Morrow with 13 kills, and 13 digs led the Huskies. While Kaden Schmidt (Mississauga, Ont.) with 23 kills, five digs, two aces, and three blocks, and Piers De Greef (Victoria, B.C.) with eight kills, six digs, one block, and three aces led the Spartans.

The opening set was a set of errors from the end line for the Spartans. TWU committed seven service errors, with only one ace to Saskatchewan’s two errors and three aces. The two teams were even early at 7-7, but the Spartan errors resulted in a 9-2 run by the Huskies to give Saskatchewan a seven-point lead, 16-9, midway through the set. The Spartans scrambled back with a 13-5 run to tie the set at 22-22. After exchanging points the Huskies used a kill by Baird and a Spartan attack error to take the opening set 25-23. TWU hit .370 (16-4-27), while Saskatchewan hit .208 (11-6-24). 

The second set had the teams tied early at 8-8. Neither team earned more than a two-point lead through the set and remained even at 18-18. The Huskies got back-to-back points to take a 20-18 lead. TWU responded and after two Saskatchewan errors had evened the set at 21-21. TWU made it three straight after a Schmidt kill to put the Spartans up 22-21 and put the Huskies into a timeout. The teams played side out ball to remain tied at 23-23. Another kill by Schmidt off of the Huskies block an attack error gave the Spartans the second set 25-23 to even the match at 1-1. The Spartans hit .188 (11-5-32), while the Huskies hit .206 (15-8-34). 

The Huskies took an early 10-8 lead to open the third before the Spartans rallied with a 10-4 run to take an 18-14 lead and put Saskatchewan into a timeout after back-to-back attack Huskie attack errors. Out of the break, the Huskies took three straight points to make it a one-point, 18-17, Spartan lead and put TWU into their timeout. The Huskies tied the set at 20-20 and after exchanging points took a 22-21 lead following a block by Keegan Colleaux and Jacob Baird of Piers de Greeff. The Huskies got to set point leading 24-22 after another block. The Spartans then got even again with two blocks by middle Jackson Corneil to even the set at 24-24, with the Huskies taking a timeout. A TWU service error and a Huskies block then gave Saskatchewan the next two points and the second set 26-24 to take a 2-1 set lead. TWU hit .250 (15-7-32), while Saskatchewan hit .125 (11-7-32). 

The Huskies jumped out to an early 7-3 lead and put TWU into a quick timeout after Saskatchewan took four straight points. After exchanging points the Spartans took three straight points to cut the lead by one point, 8-7. But the Huskies responded again taking three straight points to lead 11-7 and put TWU into another timeout. The Spartans responded with four points to tie the set at 11-11 and put Saskatchewan into a timeout after a service ace. TWU then extended their lead to 15-13 points, then took two of three points to lead 17-14 and put the Huskies into a timeout after middle Cory Schoenherr and Schmidt blocked Emmett Graham. The Spartans would get to set point after a de Greeff kill made it 24-20 for TWU. The Huskies held off two set points before Schmidt gave the Spartans the fourth set 25-22 and tied the match at 2-2. The Spartans hit .297 (15-4-37), while the Huskies hit .194 (12-5-36).

The Spartans carried their momentum into the fifth set and took a quick 5-2 lead after a Schoenherr kill and put the Huskies into an early timeout. The Huskies took three points out of the break to even the final set at 5-5. TWU then got to eight points first with a Kyden Dmitruck kill to give TWU an 8-6 lead on the changeover. Out of the change, Schmidt gave the Spartans two straight aces to expand the Spartans lead to four points, 10-6, as the Huskies took a timeout. After multiple service errors, Jackson Corneil gave TWU a 12-8 lead which was followed by back-to-back kills by the Huskies from Jefferson Morrow and Mathieu Methot to cut the Spartans’ lead to two points, 12-10, and put TWU into a timeout. After exchanging points de Greeff got the Spartans to set point leading 14-11. The Huskies then took the next two points to make it a one-point game 14-13 for the Spartans, with TWU taking a timeout. Schmidt ended the match with a cross-court kill to give TWU the set 15-13 and the match 3-2. TWU hit .158 (7-4-19), while Saskatchewan hit .158 (7-4-19). TWU had two aces and two errors, while Saskatchewan had one error.

“I think our block D[efence] was actually quite strong,” said Huskie head coach Sean McKay following the match. “Our ability to transition out of that and score the point is where we kind of suffered, so we can carry forward those lessons. But we have to find a way to get out of that and put the ball away if we’re going to win tomorrow.” 

The Spartans and Huskies will match up again tomorrow night for game two of the best-of-three quarter-final series. Match time at the Physical Activity Centre in Saskatoon, Sask. is set for 7:00 PM with tickets available at HuskieTickets.com.