SASKATOON, Sask. – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies fell in four sets (7-25, 25-19, 24-26, 17-25) to the visiting Alberta Pandas on Saturday night (Oct. 18) at Ron and Jane Graham Centre Court inside the Physical Activity Complex.
After being swept in straight sets the night before, the Huskies delivered a stronger performance in the rematch but were ultimately unable to overcome a composed Alberta squad that controlled much of the match on both sides of the net.
The Pandas recorded 51 kills and 22 errors on 137 total attacks, finishing with a hitting percentage of .212. Defensively, Alberta posted 64 digs and 13 total blocks.
Saskatchewan, by contrast, struggled offensively, managing 29 kills but committing 31 errors on 131 attacks, resulting in a negative hitting efficiency of -.015. Defensively, the Huskies contributed 56 digs and six total blocks.
The opening set showcased why Alberta entered the season as the Canada West favourites. Their potent offense and stifling defense propelled them to a dominant 25-7 win. The Pandas racked up 13 kills in the set, while the Huskies were held to just one.
Despite the lopsided first frame, Saskatchewan bounced back with resilience in the second, jumping out to an early 6-2 lead. Alberta responded quickly, capitalizing on four Huskies attack errors to take a narrow 8-7 advantage. Still, the Huskies refused to back down. Thanks to key contributions from
Taryn Hannah,
Abbey Klein, and
Keely Anderson — and by limiting Alberta to a .083 hitting percentage — Saskatchewan battled back to tie the set at 17-17. Anderson secured set point with her third kill of the frame, and the Huskies took it 25-19. Hannah, Klein, and Anderson would finish the night with 11, 9, and 4 kills, respectively.
Riding the momentum, Saskatchewan started strong in the third, opening up a 10-6 lead. But just as in the previous set, Alberta regrouped, stringing together five straight points to take a one-point lead midway through. The two teams traded leads throughout the rest of the set, with neither able to gain separation. Both squads struggled offensively, each finishing with sub-10% hitting efficiency and combining for 19 attack errors in the frame. With the score tied 24-24, it was Alberta's defense that made the difference, taking the final two points on a Huskies error and a Pandas block to win the set 26-24.
In the fourth, Alberta returned to their dominant first-set form, exploding for 17 kills on 35 swings, hitting at an impressive .400 clip. Top attacker Abby Guezen shouldered much of the offensive load, delivering eight kills in the frame and finishing as the game's top scorer with 17 kills on 44 attempts. Despite the offensive surge, Saskatchewan continued to compete, but Guezen sealed the match with the Pandas' final three kills, closing out the set 25-17 and securing the 3-1 win for Alberta.
The Huskies will now embark on their first road trip of the season, heading west to Calgary to face the Mount Royal Cougars. Game one of the weekend series is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 24 at 6:00 PM.
