The Trinity Western University Spartans claimed their second win of the weekend against the Calgary Dinos, winning 3-0 in CIS men’s volleyball action Saturday the Langley Events Centre.
Scores were 25-11, 25-18, and 25-21.
The nationally No. 3-ranked Spartans (10-4) were strong from the start, easily claiming the first set to spark what was a short night for TWU.
The Dinos (5-9) were sharper in both the second and third sets, but the Spartans looked like they were always going to earn a three-set win.
Nick Del Bianco put his talent on display, leading both his team and the game with 15 kills, four service aces, seven digs and four blocks. Del
Bianco, who had seven aces Friday, had three straight aces in the first frame to set the tone for the rest of the night.
“Tonight, Nick wanted to make he was sharp from start to finish,†Spartans coach Ben Josephson said, following the win. “I thought he had a great resolve and his decision making was awesome. He managed the tough spots really well. He was dialed in. I thought he passed really well and he had a couple of amazing solo blocks. That was probably the most complete match he’s played in all phases.â€
Ryan Sclater had 11 kills, two aces, five digs and a block. Setter Adam Schriemer had a match-high of 34 assists.
Both Calgary’s Keith West and Braden O’Toole put up six kills for the Dinos. West also contributed two blocks and five digs, while O’Toole had a service ace and seven digs. Setter Jackson Maris had 12 assists, one kill, one block and two digs.
TWU outhit Calgary in every set. Ending the game with .372 percent compared to Calgary’s .072. The Spartans had seven blocks while the Dinos had four.
“I think every phase of the game had moments where we were really good,†Josephson said. “I don’t think it was a complete game where all phases were clicking, other than the first set. But I was happy to see all those elements take centre stage for moments. I thought it was another tough performance. When things weren’t going well, there wasn’t any sort of panic or loss of focus.â€
Down 2-0, Calgary started the third set with a six-point run, moving quickly to a score of 7-2.
TWU made up some ground, and answered with a run of its own, tying the set up at 10-10 before concluding their seven-point run at 14-11.
The two teams continued to keep it a close game as they neared the end of the set, but the Spartans managed to maintain their lead, ending the set and match at 25-21.
The Spartans are off until the spring semester when they will play on the road against Regina Jan. 9-10.