Richard Catangay-LiewThe Golden Bears Volleyball team rolled to a straight sets win against the Laval Rouge et Or on Thursday afternoon. (25-15, 25-19, 25-19)
Led by fourth-year setter and newly-minted CIS Player of the Year Brett Walsh, who notched 28 assists in the victory, the No. 6-seeded Bears dominated the third-seeded RSEQ champions. Alberta had the Rouge et Or offence under lock and key, tallying 16.0 team blocks and 21 digs in a stellar defensive effort.
Ryan Nickifor and Taylor Arnett led the Bears with eight kills each, adding to an Alberta team that maintained a .403 hitting percentage throughout the match.
Advancing to tomorrow’s semifinal, the Bears will play the Trinity Western Spartans, after the team from B.C. won their quarterfinal against Ryerson 3-1. The Spartans knocked off the Golden Bears in the Canada West semifinals, preventing Alberta from winning their third straight conference title.
Looking for redemption against Trinity, the Bears’ semifinal goes at 4:00 p.m. MST tomorrow, with the winner locking up a spot in Saturday’s final. All tournament games can be streamed on CIS TV.
