SASKATOON – In a four-set contest that was close throughout the University of Saskatchewan Huskies managed to defeat the visiting Winnipeg Wesmen 3-1 (26-24, 26-24, 23-25, 25-17) inside the PAC on Friday night.
 
The contest was an important one in the conference standings as it moves the two squads to identical records of 8-7 and into a tie for fifth place.
 
The difference in the game came after the 20-point mark. In three of the four sets it was the Huskies that were able to clutch up when called upon and pull out the slim set victories.
 
Daulton Sinoski led the way with 18 kills in the contest while Cole Burkart had by far his best game as a Huskie, finishing on 17 swings on the night. Setter CJ Gavlas continued to climb up the Huskies record book as his 44 assists move him to 2572 in his Canada West career, just 18 back of Cole Hintz for the most in program history.
 
It was a balanced attack from the Wesmen. Daniel Thiessen led the way with 14 kills, Keegan Teetaert added 12 and Nigel Nielsen 11.
 
The Huskies led 20-17 in the first set before the Wesmen mounted a comeback. The visitors claimed six of the next nine points and then tied the game at 24 thanks to a kill from Thiessen. The Huskies were able to bounce back however and back-to-back kills from Sinoski and Connor Murray gave them the 26-24 set win.
 
The story was much the same in the second set.
 
A service ace and then a pair of kills gave the Wesmen a 24-23 lead and a set-point but kills from Burkart and Wandzura as well as an attack error from Teetaert saw Saskatchewan claim the 26-24 win.
 
In the third set the Wesmen were able to overcome their late set struggles.
 
After Saskatchewan took a 23-22 lead an attack error from Connor Murray and back-to-back kills from Thiessen allowed the visitors to force a fourth set with a 25-23 set win.
 
The fourth set however, belonged to Saskatchewan.
 
The Huskies hit .429 as a team in the fourth frame led by four kills from Sinoski and three apiece from Burkart and Murray to give them the set and the match.
 
These teams will be back in action tomorrow inside the PAC with a scheduled start time of 5 p.m. That action can be watched live on Canada West tv presented by Co-op.