Weekend Update: Women’s Volleyball

By Daorcey Le Bray

Although Trinity Western University’s women’s volleyball team has improved since their Canadian Intercollegiate Athletics Union debut last year, they still insist on claiming the last place in Canada West for their own. Pitted against the formidable Dinos last weekend, the Spartans maintained their ability to roll over and be spanked like a bad, bad donkey.

On the evenings of Jan. 5-6, the gals from British Columbia stepped into Calgary’s Jack Simpson Gymnasium to face the sixth-ranked women Dinos. The Sunday dawn lit the way home for TWU–crushed by losses of 3-0 and 3-1.

At 6:00 p.m. Friday evening, the Dinos came onto the court with confidence, knowing the Spartans’ whopping zero-point record. Led by the power of Alisa Marriott, the Calgary women squashed their opponents 25-14, 25-16, 25-12, forcing the Spartans to complete error after error.

Given 24 hours to recoup, one could maintain the faint hope that TWU would return to the court to give the Dinos some competition.

Sorry, but no.

The Spartans returned to sit on their thumbs and receive a 25-9 beating in the first set. They struggled for a 25-13 loss next. Finally, in the third game, Dinos Head Coach Kevin Boyles saw his chance to give his bench some practice. His cycling let the limping Trinity Western sneak their first game of the season (27-25). Not willing to be embarrassed any more, the home team walked away from the fourth set with an authoritative 25-16 triumph.

Obviously, a series against TWU is a nice way to come back from the holiday break. Well-deserved wins allow both the Dinos and their fans to have confidence for the road ahead. Yet, spanking the CIAU’s most pathetic team may instill a bloated sense of security in the prowess of the home team. That can’t be afforded as the lady Dinos take on the number-one team in the country, the Manitoba Bisons, this weekend in the Jack Simpson.