EDMONTON - Needing four sets to advance to the Canada West Final Four, the Alberta Pandas survived a first-set scare to knock off the Winnipeg Wesmen 3-1, Friday night at Saville Community Sports Centre.
With the win, the Pandas advance to both the conference Final Four and the 2025 U SPORTS Championship, hosted by the Manitoba Bisons in March.
Setting her team up to flourish was Winnipeg native
Justine Kolody, who had a match-high 49 assists, along with 11 digs and four kills. Teammate and third-year
Laila Johnston found the floor with 16 kills and 13 digs on the night.
Abby Guezen and
Mackenzie Pool also added 13 kills each for Alberta.
"The Wesmen played more like the team we thought they were tonight. A lot more pushback and more relentlessness on defence," said Kolody, who was named a CW First Team All-Star earlier in the Week. "Now with our chemistry on the court, I can find anyone at any time. And we have five guns on the court, so it's really fun to run the offence."
Across the net, veteran Selva Planincic led all players with 18 kills and added eight digs, two blocks and two aces. Fellow senior and defensive specialist Taylor Cangemi led the night with 22 digs.
"We played with some more intensity and served the ball well today," said Wesmen head coach Phil Hudson on his side's performance. "I'm really proud of our girls. We have lots of young kids on the floor, and this was a good sign that they are going to be ready to play in future years, so I'm proud of how we fought."
After dropping three straight sets the night before, the Wesmen were prepared to prove their worth, jumping to a 7-5 lead as the home side struggled to get clean, well-timed blocks at the net as Planicic was successful with her kills as she put eight down in the set. Coupled with the peppering of the ball, the visitors combined for a total of 22 digs on their way to a set victory, 25-18.
Settling into the match, the Pandas found their groove, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the second before extending the gap to 11-6. However, the fiery red and white side would battle back with their season on the line. Naomi Unger bullet of a serve would be too much of the homeside as her ace tied the game at 16. However, liberio Misha Hammeed's driving save to her left would shift the momentum back to the Pandas, eventually closing out the set, 25-23 and tying the match at one set apiece.
"Winnipeg played quite a bit better tonight, so glad we could fight through that, and a win against a good team is always a good thing," said Pandas head coach
Carolyn O'Dwyer. "I feel like we are in a great spot. The special thing with this group is we have gotten better each week, and that's all you can ask for."
Exchanging points to start the powershifting third set,
Allie Moore would soon send a forceful kill from the left side, sitting the Wesmen down before cruising to a 25-16 set win and bringing them within 25 points of a Canada West Final Four spot.
Knowing the season was on the line, the Wesmen fought point for point to start the critical fourth set. Even with the extended rallies, thanks to Cangemi, the top-ranked Pandas demonstrated how they earned that title, taking the set and match.
