It can be easy to forget that the Winnipeg Wesmen — for as talented as they are — are still a young team comprised of many first-time starters.
Friday night had many of the highs that the team has come to deliver on countless occasions in the second half of the season, but ultimately too many lows and a painful reminder of the squad’s inexperience as the Wesmen watched their lead disappear in what would’ve been a series-clinching set in Game 2 of the Canada West women’s volleyball play-in series.
The Wesmen, who had battled back after losing the opening set, held an 8-5 lead in the fifth set over the Calgary Dinos as the teams switched sides. What happened from there can be chalked up to naïveté.
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Wesmen outside hitter Ella Werbiski (No. 14) spikes the ball while Dinos middle/outside hitter Leni Blanke (No. 1) goes up for the block.
The Dinos quickly knotted the frame at 8-8 and, following a Wesmen timeout, went on to win seven of the next 10 points to complete a thrilling and bitter 3-2 (25-19; 22-25; 22-25; 27-25; 15-11) comeback victory at Duckworth Centre.
“Nerves and stuff,” said Wesmen head coach Phil Hudson. “Some of our new starters were in there, and they got a little bit nervous, and when your emotions are flying around, you’re not able to make good decisions and stuff. So we’ll regroup, and we’ll get better for tomorrow.”
The Wesmen were looking to repeat history by sweeping the Dinos in the play-in series for the second year in a row.
Instead, the two sides will play a fateful Game 3 on Saturday at 4 p.m, back at Duckworth Centre.
The winner will advance to face the Alberta Pandas in the conference quarterfinals.
“I think that’s a learning curve for (Saturday) of in those pressure situations when we’re past 20 or playing a fifth set, we just got to really trust our training and trust that we know what we’re doing, and play with some grit right near the end — no hesitancy,” said Libero Taylor Cangemi, the lone fifth-year on the Wesmen roster.
For Cangemi, Saturday’s match will hold significant weight, as a loss would spell the end of her university career.
“For me personally, I think I can speak on behalf of the team: The main feeling is hunger,” said Cangemi, who led the Wesmen with 15 digs. “I think we knew they would push back today, so we knew it would be a gritty type of game, and we’re expecting (Saturday) to be the same.
“They’ve got nothing to lose, and at this point, neither do we. So I’m just feeling extremely fired up for a second chance tomorrow and redemption.”
Brooke Duncalfe, who had 20 kills in Game 1, stayed hot on the attack for the hosts, burying a game-high 24 chances. Megan Kendziora also made a significant impact with 17 kills, while setter Naomi Unger registered 53 assists.
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Wesmen left side Brooke Duncalfe (No. 16) spikes the ball while Dinos middle Narelle Arnold (No. 6) and Dinos teammate middle/outside hitter Leni Blanke (No. 1) go up for the block.
The Dinos’ outside hitters saw much more success than in the series-opener, as Sophia Hansen recorded 19 kills and Lena Blanke supplied another 16.
Beyond the fifth set, this was far from the Wesmen’s best. After a dominant showing in Game 1, the rematch was much more of a grind in nearly every phase.
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“They served/received better (than Game 1), so they were in-system more,” said Hudson. “It was much harder for us to block. We missed our targets quite a bit, and their attackers were more aggressive than ours and moved the ball around, and we didn’t follow our game plan to start with.
“We have to do a much better job of following through on what we’re supposed to be doing tomorrow. Calgary is going to be a formidable task meeting here. They’re big, and they’re athletic and good setting and really good outside hitting, so it’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
Despite being handed a tough lesson, there is no fading belief on Winnipeg’s side. If this season has taught them anything, it’s that they deserve to be in this position.
“We have had some big games against some big teams this season, and we’ve given them a good run for their money,” said Cangemi. “So I think all of that has built confidence leading up to this point, and we know we can do it. It’s not a matter of doubt. It’s a matter of grittiness in those tight situations.”
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Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
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