The Pandas were the more efficient team, hitting .281 compared to .189 for UBC.
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WINNIPEG — The top-seeded Alberta Pandas earned their second straight medal at nationals, knocking off the No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds 3-1 (25-21, 28-30, 25-22, 25-18) in the bronze-medal match at the University of Manitoba on Sunday.
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It was also the second time Alberta knocked off the T-Birds in the post-season, following a win in the Canada West final the week before.
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“Obviously not the result we wanted (in the semifinal on Saturday). It kind of felt like nothing was going our way,” said Pandas setter Justine Kolody, referring to a 3-0 sweep at the hands of the fifth-seeded Montreal Carabins.
“But at the end of the day we still had a job to get done, so I’m proud of how we went about today. We still had a really great season, so we want to celebrate that for each other.”
In the bronze-medal match, the score was tied 43 times and featured 17 lead changes in a spirited affair. There were also 20 combined team blocks and 117 digs while 15 different players recorded a kill.
There were four ties in the first set, as the two sides combined for 35 digs and some spirited rallies.
The Pandas held two-point leads throughout the first set, but UBC pushed back to take a 13-12 lead on an Issy Robertshaw back set to Lucy Borowski, who went cross court from the right for her third kill. The Thunderbirds added two more points from there, forcing a Pandas timeout, which paid off.
Alberta proceeded to score seven of the next eight points, and didn’t trail for the rest of the set. Mackenzie Pool gave Alberta the lead at 17-16, going hard off the double block, and Ronnie Dickson followed that up with back-to back aces as part of an impactful close to the set.
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The Thunderbirds had set point on four occasions in set two, but the Pandas fought it off each time, getting their own set point at 28-27 on a Ronnie Dickson block. But this time it was UBC who would not be denied.
An error resulted in the 13th tie of the set following a long rally, which was a theme all throughout, and Kylie Glanville gave her side a 29-28 lead on a smash through a double block from the left.
Trinity Solecki, who had seven kills and seven digs, put the set to bed one point later on an ace.
The third set was another grind into the 20s. Alberta took a 21-19 lead on a Kolody ace, but UBC pushed back to tie it at 22 following Glanville’s 11th kill, cross court from the left.
Errors ultimately handed Alberta the set. The Pandas were also the more efficient team, hitting .281 compared to .189 for UBC. Three straight errors (and 21 going into the fourth) made the difference at the end as Alberta took the one-set lead.
A one-point game was blown open in the 20s by Alberta in set four.
Abby Guezen put down three of her game-high 15 kills in Alberta’s final five points, as the Pandas outscored UBC 6-1 to close out the set 25-18 and win the match.
Winnipeg native Kolody added a key ace, and had 12 digs, one of three Pandas with double-digit digs on the day.
— Postmedia Sports
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