Bisons push No. 3 ranked Wesmen to limit in 3-1 loss

WINNIPEG – For the second straight game, the Manitoba Bisons took a set off the No. 3 nationally ranked Winnipeg Wesmen, but the U of W had the response, beating the Herd 3-1 at IGAC on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Wesmen are now 14-2, first place in Canada West, while Manitoba fell to 7-11. The Bisons are still in a playoff hosting position (for the play-in round) in eighth.
 
Manitoba’s service pressure was a major strength once again. The best serving team in the country put down eight aces, led by the country’s best in that department, Karil Dadash Adeh. He blasted five aces to tie his career high, and leads U SPORTS, with 48 on the season.
 
Owen Weekes added two aces, while Alex Witt had one. Both of Weekes’ aces came in the first, as the Herd took a commanding ten-point lead and surged to the 1-0 lead.
 
Meanwhile, six different Bisons had at least two assisted blocks in the game, as the Herd’s pressure at the service line, specifically in the first set, kept Winnipeg off balance and out of system allowing the Herd to set up their lethal block defence.
 
Jonah Dueck, who leads the team with 72 blocks including ten solos, had a game-high four, and added four kills on a .500 hitting percentage.
 
Dueck and Dadash Adeh combined for a stuff block in the opening set, and the former’s smash from the middle gave the Bisons set point in the second.
 
But with the score 24-23, Manitoba committed two crucial errors, while Luke Lodewyks, who had ten kills, blasted a ball off hands as part of the come-from-behind set win for Winnipeg.
 
Set three was also a back-and-forth grind. Bisons setter Sammy Ludwig, who had 35 assists, put down a solo block in the middle to give the Bisons an 8-7 lead, and Dadash Adeh and Witt had big aces later on, but Winnipeg responded, courtesy Isaiah Olfert.
 
One of the nation’s best attackers blasted a ball off hands for the set win for Winnipeg, who capitalized on service errors from their opposition as well as a combined 33 digs.
 
Winnipeg controlled most of set four, ending the match with the 13-point win.
 
Manitoba concludes their regular season this weekend against MacEwan.