It’s off to the most Eastern part of Canada West for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s volleyball team.
The Pack will be opening up the 2019-20 regular season as they meet the Brandon University Bobcats on their alumni volleyball weekend.
The two teams will battle at the Healthy Living Centre Friday and Saturday nights (Oct 18-19)
DETAILS:
The WolfPack have returned their entire roster from last season. They have added two veteran recruits in 2nd year outside hitter Kendall Stephan (Springwater, ON) and 1st year middle Kseniya Kocyigit (Byaroza, Belarus). Stephen played for the PACWEST and CCAA champion Vancouver Island University Mariners last season. Kocyigit played professionally in The Philippines last year.
RECORDS OF NOTE:
TRU: had a record of 13-11 last season finishing in sixth spot in the Canada West. They advanced to the playoffs where they took the heavily favored University of Alberta Pandas to three games in the first round.
BRANDON: finished the 2018-19 season with a record of 5-19, good enough for 11th spot .
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES:
The WolfPack are 7-3 in their last 10 matches against the Bobcats and have won 3 of four all time in Brandon. Last time the two squads met was February 2, 2019 at the Tournament Capital Centre where the WolfPack won in three straight sets. The scores that night were 25-23,25-21,26-24.
Thompson Rivers has won the last five straight matches they have played against Brandon.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
TRU: Olga Savenchuk (2nd year, outside hitter, Donetsk, Ukraine): she was fourth in Canada West in kills (340) and kills per set (3.78). Olga was a Canada West first team all-star.
Hayley McNaught (1st year, middle, Woking, AB): was named to the Canada West rookie all-star team last season
BRANDON:
Ravyn Weibe (4th year, outside hitter, Morden, MB): had 162 kills, third most on the team last season
Jamie Bai (4th year, setter, St. Albert, AB) : led the Bobcats with 547 assists and had 25 service aces last season.
Caitlin Le (3rd year, libero, Mississauga, ON): had a team leading 292 digs last season.
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK COACH CHAD GRIMM:
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1184835867350716416
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK SETTER ABBY SPRATT (4TH YEAR, CALGARY, AB);
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1184835899529420801
Both matches can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on Canada West TV.
The WolfPack will return after the weekend for their home opener at the Tournament Capital Centre on Friday October 25th and Saturday October 26th against the University of Calgary Dinos. Game time both nights will be 5 pm.
[SOURCE: Thompson Rivers University]