EDMONTON – Winning their fourth-straight match against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in only two weeks, including the final weekend of the regular season, the No.4 University of Alberta Golden Bears sweep the best-of-three quarter-final weekend series in four sets (25-18, 27-29, 25-22, 25-18), Friday night at Saville Community Sports Centre.

Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Canham tallied 18 kills for the home team, also notching four block assists and a solo block to lead the squad with 21.0 points. Third-year outside hitter Jackson Kennedy netted 16 kills and four block assists while fourth-year setter Max Elgert recorded a match-high 54 assists.

Fourth-year outside hitter Connor Murray guided the Huskies with 10 kills on the night, adding two aces, while senior middle Daven Pascal put up eight kills, three aces, and three block assists. Fourth-year setter CJ Gavlas notched 31 assists.

With the Huskies up 8-6 in the opening set, Canham's second kill of the match started a 10-2 run for the hosts, the Newington, Ont. native also making Alberta the first team to 20 on the scoreboard with a kill.

"We have a saying," states Alberta head coach Brock Davidiuk, "to 'be a two-day horse'. Jordan was a two-day horse. He had a great weekend."

Canham recorded his fourth kill off the block for the penultimate point in the first set before sophomore outside hitter Braedon Friesen scored his fourth by powering his attack to center court on the road team's side for the 1-0 set lead.

"[Jordan] has incredible work ethic on and off the court," continued Davidiuk. "A weekend like this is a result of that."

The second set was a back-and-forth affair, the two squads equalizing 11 different times on the scoreboard throughout the frame, the only lead change coming late when a Canham serve into the net, a rare miscue on the night for the second-year, gave Saskatchewan their first lead.

After trading a couple points as the set extended, Murray got his team ahead 28-27 with a kill off the Alberta block before a Friesen two-hit error tied the set score at 1-1.

"Connor Murray's actually outstanding," praised Huskie head coach Sean McKay. "I don't think there's a smaller guy that, pound for pound, swings better than him."

Murray was on deck at the service line for an early 3-1 lead in the third set, but following an ace with a service error began another war of attrition on the scoreboard, the Bears breaking a 14-14 tie with five straight kills and getting ahead for good.

Alberta let the Huskies back into the set late, Saskatchewan erasing the deficit down to one point before Kennedy powered a momentous giving the Bears a 2-1 set lead.

"The team showed a little lack of maturity in the third set, letting it slip away," commented Davidiuk. "We need to be stronger than that."

The final set showed that strength as the home team opened with a 9-3 run, Canham earning two more kills in that stretch as part of seven in the final set while teammate Kennedy's big cross-court kill late in the set threated to end the Huskie season for good.

"Jackson has been steady for us all year," praised Davidiuk. "He's really blossomed this year. Good to see [him and Jordan] perform for us."

Canham got his second penultimate point of the night to set up the match's final play, Pascal going a bit too far over the net to end the Saskatchewan season on an attack error.

"Alberta's a good team, a very experienced team," said McKay. "It was going to take us playing our best to beat them. There were times tonight where we at least showed that 'best', so that was awesome to see."