EDMONTON, AB - The Alberta Golden Bears showed why they are the top ranked team in Canada West on Saturday with a sweep of the visiting Saskatchwean Huskies in Game Two of the Canada West Semi-Final (25-19, 25-12, 25-21 | 2-0 series).
It was an impressive showing from the #1 U SPORTS ranked Bears, who head to their 29th overall CW Final and will face the #4 Trinity Western Spartans (18-6, 4-0 playoffs).
"The guys came out to play," fourth-year Alberta coach Brock Davidiuk said post game. "We were real competitors, and I am proud of our composure and our identity tonight."
The Bears were paced by another phenomenal game from First-Team All-Star Jordan Canham, who finished with a game-high 15 kills and a remarkable six service aces.
Huskies head coach Sean McKay was ever accountable in the loss, stating: "We had a couple guys that showed up, but that is about it. We did not show up [as a whole] to play a Canada West Semi-Final today and that is on me as a coach preparing them, so I have to do better."
The hosts picked right back up where they left off in Game One, starting the first set with a 12-5 run that featured strong attacking (.700 hitting percentage) and a stalwart defense (Saskatchewan hit .125 during the run). The dominance did not stop there, however, as they maintained a seven-point lead for the majority of the frame. The Bears had four players record two or more kills in the set, an impressive showing of their attacking depth. They would take the first set 25-19 and headed to the second with a fistful of momentum.
An 8-3 Bears advantage to start the second necessitated a Huskie timeout early. Alberta's service game was remarkable in the frame, scoring an astounding nine aces against just five errors. The Huskies play at the net improved, but the Bears were too defensively solid to let the visitors go on any sort of run. Led by two kills and five aces from Canham, the Bears took the set 25-12 and headed into the third looking to lock up a CW title game appearance.
Saskatchewan rebounded well to start the third frame, getting some effective attacks through the Alberta block line. The Canada West All-Stars Dylan Mortenson and Levi Olson turned the heat up for the Huskies, but were matched by an equally impressive Alberta attack from the arms of Canham and rookie Jacob Sargent. And while it was the closest set of the night, the hosts were able to stave off a valiant Huskie effort for a 25-21 set and game win.
The Saskatchewan Huskies will now host the Canada West Bronze Medal game on Friday, March 10 (time TBD) at the Physical Activity Complex. The Huskies opponent will be the Calgary Dinos (12-12, 2-2 playoffs), in a one game match up to determine who heads to the U SPORTS Championship. Tickets will be available at HuskieTickets.com and the game can be streamed live on CanadaWest.TV.
