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Women's Volleyball Overpowered In Semis By Top Ranked Wesmen

MCAC teams combined for only two wins all season against the conference's top-seeded University of Winnipeg College Wesmen and there were no surprises this afternoon as the fourth-ranked Blazers succumb to a 3-0 semifinal exit (25-19, 25-18, 26-24).

The match was not without hope of an upset as several players in the CMU rotation stepped up at key moments of the match. Recently named 2016 MCAC All-Conference selection Kim Town made an early impression on her team's first possession, pounding a kill from right side and following that with an ace from the service line to give her team a 2-0 lead in the first set. Jocelyn Bartos scored two aces of her own for the College Wesmen late in the set to give Winnipeg a 23-16 advantage that they would not look back on.

In set two, Town showed her versatility and athleticism in the back row, defending with a monster dig that her rotational opposite, Rayzanna Rempel immediately followed with a triumphant stuff block to top the Wesmen 5-1. The Blazers would hold that lead until Talia Paetsch scored on five consecutive serves to force a CMU timeout. Paetsch would end the set in the front row, pounding her attack off a block to push Winnipeg into a 2-0 lead in the match.

It was all CMU for most of the third set, and the match appeared destined for a fourth set as the gritty Blazers fought back, led in the back row by the superb passing of first-year left side Haley Ginter and the accuracy of team captain Rachel Oswald from the service line. CMU led by as many as six points but with the lead 21-16, the College Wesmen emerged empowered from a timeout and chased their way back into the set, eventually winning the set 26-24 and the match 3-0.

The loss ends a solid rookie coaching season for Evelyn Kampen who saw her team fight back from missing the 2015 Final Fours to some solid results through the 2015-16 campaign and a team that looks destined to continue making steps up the MCAC Women's Volleyball ladder. With the win, the College Wesmen will advance to tomorrow's MCAC Championship match against the winner of the ACC Cougars and Providence Pilots.

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