Blues Win Bronze

Capilano Blues 3
CBC Bearcats 2

It was an exciting women’s bronze medal match on Saturday afternoon as the Blues and Bearcats go the distance with the Blues capturing their first PACWEST bronze since 2019.

The Bearcats opened the match with set wins of 25-20 and 25-21 and looked like they were in control with their outstanding serving.  Their offensive attack was also extremely balanced as setter Olivia Pederson quarterbacked her team to near perfection keeping the Blues defenders guessing.

In the third set the momentum started to shift as the Blues offence started to find some holes coupled with the Bearcats starting to make mistakes that didn’t happen in the first two sets.  The Blues would show some life and capture the third set 25-22. 

The fourth set the Blues took charge as Abi Betker and Nnya Mbaoma led their offensive push back.  Annika Kuznik was outstanding from the service line and the substitution of Makenna Hamilton-Jackson was a spark for the Blues coming up with three very important digs.  The Blues won the fourth 25-17 setting up a decisive fifth set.

In the final set the Blues jumped out to a big lead before the Bearcats chipped away and brought the score to within one but it’s as close as they would come with Mbaoma ending the match with a final kill and a 15-12 victory.

Mbaoma was named Player of the Match with 12 kills (unofficially)while Betker added 11 and Sibby Bos came alive down the stretch with eight important points.

Kiana Wiebe was incredible in the middle for the Bearcats and was named Player of the Match.  She finished with 15 kills.