SASKATOON – The Thunderbirds (3-0) got off to a hot start on Friday night, and they parlayed it into a well-earned four-set win (25-12, 25-22, 28-30, 25-16) over the Saskatchewan Huskies (1-2).
Kylee Glanville had a monstrous performance on the outside, as she racked up 22 kills on a ridiculous .576 hitting percentage, along with eight digs, two blocks and two aces. That kill total tied her career-high, matching the 22 she landed this past January, coincidentally also against the Huskies.
Ella Ungemach was also efficient with nine kills, four digs and three blocks with just one attack error, while Gabrielle Flaman recorded a match-high 13 digs in her first match against her former team.
Jessica Bergstrom led the way offensively for the Huskies with 11 kills and two blocks. Setter Tielle Hagel had 31 assists and five digs.
The Thunderbirds dominated the first set, hitting .650 as a team and forcing the Huskies into seven attack errors with just four kills. Seven different T-Birds recorded a kill in the opening frame, including the first career tally for first-year outside hitter Mila Kosoric.
While the second set was much closer, the T-Birds led just about wire-to-wire, outside of a single point when the Huskies went up 10-9. Undeterred, the visitors proceeded to rip off a quick four-point burst capped by an Issy Robertshaw ace, giving them a lead they wouldn't relinquish despite heavy pressure by the hosts. Glanville eventually finished things off with her sixth kill of the set to make it 25-22.
The Huskies weren't going to go down with a fight, however, and they showed that in the third. They jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and proceeded to play from the front for most of the set.
Down by five late, the Thunderbirds reeled off an impressive run of their own to tie the score at 24. Unfortunately, they weren't able to convert on either of their match point opportunities, and Saskatchewan's Mackenzie Lyburn managed to keep hope alive with a kill for her team's 30th point of the frame.
The T-Birds did reassert control in the fourth, and a 7-2 burst in the middle part of the set put them up 22-14 which was too big of a deficit for the Huskies to come back from.
The two sides will have a Halloween rematch on Saturday night, with the Thunderbirds aiming to improve to a 4-0 start to the campaign.
