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donata
0
Brandon BRNW 3-9
3
Winner Alberta ABW 12-0
Brandon BRNW
3-9
0
Final
3
Alberta ABW
12-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Brandon BRNW 23 26 24 (0)
Alberta ABW 25 28 26 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Bobcats fall to #1 ranked Pandas


EDMONTON  - It wasn't pretty, but the No.1 University of Alberta Pandas kept their undefeated streak alive with a hard-earned straight-sets victory (25-23, 28-26, 26-24) over the Brandon University Bobcats, Saturday night at Saville Community Sports Centre.

Fourth-year outside hitters Meg Casault and Kacey Otto spinning 19 and 11 kills, respectively, while former Canada West All-Rookie Team member Mariah Walsh put up 31 assists as well as four aces.

Senior left side Shanlee McLennan tallied a team-high 12 kills for the visitors, fourth-year middle Jodie Baker adding 11 while sophomore setter Natasha Rupa notched 31 assists.

A story that was all too familiar for the Pandas' liking after Friday night's contest, the CIS silver medalists fell behind their opponents in their second-straight set, the Bobcats using a 7-1 run to cut out a 12-6 lead for themselves in the opening set.

Yet a dogged Casault helped sway the momentum, slowly but surely, her three kills in a 7-2 run getting Alberta to within a point before Brandon tried to write a different ending with a 4-1 run to pull ahead.

Unrelenting, the Panda warriors continued to fight, notching four straight points to tie the set up at 19, beginning a neck-and-neck battle to 25, Alberta getting ahead on the strength of a Karly Janssen kill off the block and a Baker attack error going off the net and side out for the 1-0 set lead.

The second was more of the same, both squadrons successfully conquering consecutive points, but never able to prevent a counterattack, leading to a suspenseful extended set.

Not lying down, the Bobcats unleashed a barrage onto the home team in the final set, an 8-0 assault with the pair of McLennan and Baker combining for five kills to put Alberta on the defensive.

Slowly but surely again, however, the resilient Pandas squad fought back, bombarding the opposition with a 7-0 run of their own to take the lead only to have Brandon dig in their heels and make a final stand, despite the Pandas getting a 24-21 lead.

Second-year left side Nikki Majewski fired through backrow defenders before Casault snafued a set and third-year middle Courtney Roberts attacked low into the trenches to equalize the set at 24.

Undaunted, Casault once again led the troops, the team record holder for most points in a season finding the far side in Brandon's territory before launching the final blow from the service line, falling just in front of an outstretched McLennan to end the conflict in victory for the home team and remaining undefeated for 2015.

The 12-0 Pandas return to regular season combat on January 8, when they bomb over to Langley, B.C. to engage the Trinity Western Spartans in battle. The 3-9 Bobcats fly home to clash with the Saskatchewan Huskies on the same weekend.

 
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