Golden Bears Volleyball dominates Calgary Dinos in three straight sets

On January 19, the University of Alberta Golden Bears volleyball team played the University of Calgary Dinos. The Golden Bears secured victory against the Dinos in three straight sets (25-16, 25-19, 25-20). 

With this win, the Golden Bears remain in second-place in the Canada West standings. They have a record of 12 wins with just five losses. There is only a two-point difference between the Golden Bears and the first-place team, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds. Only six games remain in this season for the Golden Bears.

Heslinga and Espedido help the Golden Bears get ahead 

The first set got off to a rough start for the Golden Bears with U of C taking a 5-1 lead. However, the Golden Bears bounced back quickly, eventually taking an eight-point lead with a score of 20-12. 

Jacob Sargent secured the first kill of the game, with an assist from the setter, Sam Drybrough. Sargent was one of the leading players in the game with six kills, two blocks, and three service aces. Additionally, throughout the game Drybrough achieved 33 assists. 

Once the Golden Bears gained momentum they were able to snag a 25-16 victory in the first set. 

The second set was a lot tighter than the first. Neither team was able to gain more than four points on the other. That is, until the end of the set when the Golden Bears pulled ahead with a 25-19 win. 

Isaac Heslinga was a leader in this set, with four kills, one block, one assist, and one service ace. Heslinga finished the game with 12 kills in total, making him one of the highest point scorers in the game. 

The third and final set of the game started off fairly evenly with the Golden Bears and Dinos fighting point-for-point. With a timely kill from Heslinga, the Golden Bears were able to gain a six-point lead over the Dinos.

The Dinos gained two more points before the Golden Bears ended the game with a score of 25-20. Liam Espedido and Billy Johnstone gained a combined 10 points for the team this set, earning seven kills, and three blocks between the two of them.