Brent Mutis
CapU Blues sports info
After dropping the first set, the Capilano Blues gritted their way to a 3-1 win (set scores: 19-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20) Friday night over the visiting Columbia Bible College (CBC) Bearcats.
Each side matched the other throughout almost the entire first set, with the young Bearcats side, which has 15 first-year players, going to a veteran in Isaac James for a pair of early kills.
Quentin Middleton smashed two kills in the first set for the Blues, but Capilano's offence stalled when the score reached 19-19 with CBC collecting the next six points, the final two on blocks, to take the opening frame.
Determined to even the match, CapU built a healthy advantage in the second set and got floor time for young players Olivier Kenny, Aiden Kulcheski, Kai Haley Lo Yan and Torin Quan. There was a big crowd reaction to a Shub Wander kill from the back row that seemed to lift the home side, and Middleton clinched the set with another timely swing from the middle of the court.
The Bearcats didn't go away quietly despite the decisive second-set Blues win. They scratched their way to a late lead in the third set, but CapU evened things at 23 on another big kill in the middle, this one from former Bearcat Dylan Buehler. Wander put the final touches on the third set with a block and a kill resulting from an overplayed CBC pass that came back to the Blues side, where Wander shoved it down for the deciding point.
Kameo Wagner directed the Blues offence for the second, third and fourth sets, and, after missing the last two weekends due to injury, the import setter from New Zealand looked energized being back in the lineup. In addition to setting up his teammates for good swings, he was a commanding presence at the net with two of his three blocks in the fourth set.
CBC frequently had the answer for Blues outside hitters Luke Tiegen and Xavier Masztak and, as a team, totaled 11 blocks, including four for Luke Hagen. Still, Wagner continued to use Middleton to put points away as the second-year middle blocker recorded a season-high nine kills.
Wander, efficient, effective and entertaining Friday, had a team-high 12 kills, putting away points to snuff out CBC rallies and helping the Blues to a third-straight win.
The teams have a rematch Saturday at CapU with the start scheduled for 7 p.m.
