The Bisons women’s volleyball team showcased their skills in the Duckworth Challenge, defeating the University of Winnipeg Wesmen 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-16) at the Duckworth Centre but losing 3-2 (29-27, 15-25, 25-20, 21-25, and 16-14) at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
On Friday, Jan. 30, the Bisons took an early lead, with a 4-1 score. They capitalized on this advantage as they continued, but the Wesmen nearly caught up, scoring four consecutive points to narrow the gap to 21-19. However, the Bisons maintained their lead and secured the set 25-23.
In the second set, the Bisons jumped to a 2-0 lead and extended it to 6-1 with four more points. They continued to dominate, eventually winning 25-13.
The Bisons dominated the third set again, with six consecutive points to take a 6-1 lead after the Wesmen’s initial score. The Wesmen could not recover from this lead, and the Bisons won 25-16.
The Bisons’ strong performance was led by Raya Surinx, who had a total of 14 points, primarily from kills. Ella Gray and Brenna Bedosky also contributed to the Bisons’ dominant win. The team’s serving prowess was evident throughout the match.
In the rematch on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, the Bisons lost 3-2 to the Wesmen in a heated game.
The Wesmen took the first set 29-27, despite the Bisons tying the score at 22-22.
The Bisons bounced back in the second set, scoring seven consecutive points to take a commanding lead and winning 15-25. However, the Wesmen regained momentum in the third set to take the lead and win 25-20.
The Bisons evened the score in the fourth set with a 1-6 lead, and maintained their lead to win 21-25.
In the fifth set, the Wesmen took the early lead. Despite the Bisons timeout, the Wesmen continued to dominate, eventually winning 16-14.
The Duckworth Challenge is an annual competition between the U of M and University of Winnipeg sports programs. The challenge involves games played between the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams from both universities. The university whose teams win the most matches is declared the winner of the Duckworth Challenge.
The Bisons basketball teams also split points with the Wesmen, with both men and women’s teams winning one and losing one. However, the Bisons men’s volleyball team won both of their games, which was enough to win this edition of the Duckworth Challenge for the Bisons.
The Bisons women’s volleyball will play UFV Cascades on Friday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. CT and Saturday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. CT in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
