The Huskies men’s volleyball squad is still searching for their first win of the season after dropping both of their matches to the Trinity Western University Spartans on Nov. 1 and 2 at the Physical Activity Complex. The Dogs are now 0-4 on the season.
Despite not grabbing a set during their first meeting on Friday night, the match was a close affair. In the end the Spartans came away with a 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 win.
The Spartans began to pull away at 19-19 in the first set. The visiting team wrapped up the opener 25-21 after they successfully blocked three Huskie shots and a Huskie attack sailed long. The squads exchanged leads five times throughout the set until the Spartans took control during the final points.
The Huskies dropped another tight 22-25 contest to give the Spartans a two set advantage. The Spartans took an early 7-3 lead in the set before the Huskies dug in to pull within one, now down only 15-16. The comeback was short lived as the Spartans went on a four point run to edge ahead 20-15. The Huskies were not able to stage another comeback and the Spartans closed the set.
The Spartans jumped out to a quick 10-5 lead to open the third set. After a Huskies timeout, the home team clawed their way back to 17-18. The Spartans responded by calling a timeout of their own. The tactic worked as the team came back to score three straight. The two teams exchanged points until the Spartans led 23-19. From here the visiting team finished the set and the match with the final two kills of the night.
Bryan Fraser led the Huskies with 12 kills and Braden McLean added eight. McLean also recorded one solo block and six assisted blocks.
The Huskies fared slightly better the next night, taking the second set in a 13-25, 25-23, 14-21, 22-25 loss.
The Spartans took an early 4-1 lead in the first set and never surrendered the momentum, securing it 25-13.
The home side came back strong in the second set to level the match at a set apiece. The Huskies started the set with a 6-3 advantage but the Spartans stayed close until Huskie Jordan Nowakowski froze the Spartans with his seventh kill of the set to put the Dogs on the board after taking the second 25-23.
The third set was a mirror image of the first, helping the Spartans ease to a two sets to one advantage after a dominating 25-14 win.
Falling behind early in the first set, the Huskies fought to level the score at seven all. Unphased by the resurgence, the Spartans quickly pulled ahead 11-7. The Spartans let the Huskies back into the set after a Fraser kill and four errors from the visiting side tied the game at 15. Neither team could build a substantial lead and were once again even at 20.
It wasn’t until a Huskies’ touch on an attack headed out of bounds that the Spartans gained a two point lead at 22-20. The undefeated Spartans did not miss the chance to close out the set and ended the match 25-22 on two kills from Nicholas Del Bianco and another by Lucas Van Berkel.
Nowakowski led the Huskies with 13 kills and Fraser recorded seven. Fraser also tallied a match-high 11 digs.
The Huskies look for their first win against the University of Manitoba Bisons on Nov. 8 and 9 in Winnipeg.
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Photo: Jordan Dumba/Photo Editor