The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will look to finish the pre-Christmas portion of their Canada West women’s volleyball season on a high note. The Pack are in the middle of a six match road trip but will end the 2019 portion with back to back matches in Saskatoon against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Thompson Rivers, is seventh in the U SPORTS top ten national rankings (8-2). They face a Saskatchewan squad which is trailing them in the Canada West standings (7-3).
Both teams are coming off splits. The Pack against UBC, the Huskies handed Trinity Western its first loss of the year.
The WolfPack are enjoying their best ever season in Canada West. Kendra Finch (5th year, outside hitter, North Vancouver, BC) is having an ‘all-star’ caliber season individually. She is among the Canada West leaders in three statistical categories.
Finch is third in kills (138), kills per set (3.54) and fifth in digs (126).
Kseniya Kocyigit (1st year, middle, Byroza, Belarus) is second in the league in hitting percent (.355) and tied for second in blocks per set (1.23).
Saskatchewan’s Mandi Fraser (2nd year, middle, Saskatoon, SK) leads Canada West in hitting percentage (.383) while Averie Allard (2nd year, setter, Winnipeg, MB) is fifth in assists per set (8.59).
Statistically, not only does Finch lead the Pack in kills and digs but she is also third in service aces (11). Kocyigit is third in kills (80), and leads in service aces (18) along with total blocks (18). Olga Savenchuk (2nd year, outside hitter, Donetsk, Ukraine) is second in kills with 86, second in digs (106) and second in total blocks (22). Anastasiia Muzyka (3rd year, setter, Poltawa, Ukraine) has a team leading 265 ass9sts, is second on the team with 13 service aces and third on the squad in total blocks (21).
Last season, at the old TRU Gym, the Pack and Huskies teams split. The WolfPack took the first night 3-1 with the Huskies winning on the second night 3-1.
Saskatchewan has a local player on their roster. Sa-Hali Secondary grad Caet McCorkell is into her first year with the Huskies after spending the last two seasons in PACWEST at Douglas College. McCorkell is the youngest daughter of City of Kamloops Parks and Recreation Director Byron and played high school and club volleyball with current WolfPack libero/outside hitter Katie Ludvig.
When the schedule resumes in 2020, the WolfPack will close out their road adventure with a stop over in Winnipeg, Manitoba to take on the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. They don’t have a home match at the Tournament Capital Centre until Friday, January 10, 2020 when the University of Manitoba Bisons venture into Kamloops.
All of the above games can been seen on a pay per view basis on Canada West TV presented by Co-op by accessing: https://cw.yaretv.com/. Results will be available on the WolfPack social media platforms and their website www.goWolfPack.ca.
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK HEAD COACH CHAD GRIMM:
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1199858530695577600
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK MIDDLE KSENIYA KOCYGIT (1st year, Byaroza, Belarus):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1199859879592095749
[SOURCE: Thompson Rivers University]