The Winnipeg Wesmen took down the defending national champions Friday night.

Liam Kristjanson led a spread out Wesmen attack and Winnipeg knocked off Trinity Western for the first time in six years, scoring a 3-1 (25-16, 25-20, 19-25, 25-18) Canada West conference win over the Spartans at the Duckworth Centre. 

Kristjanson, who spent time with the national program in the off-season, looked like an all-star with 12 kills on .391 attacking while also adding two aces and five digs. He led three Wesmen in double figures in kills as Nigel Nielsen added 10 on 18 swings with zero errors and Isaiah Olfert also knocked down 10 against his former team.

Olfert hit .471 and had a hand on the match-winning block in his first showdown with the Spartans since he transferred home last year. 

The Wesmen snapped a nine-match losing streak to Trinity and hit .465 as a team and hit .500 or better in three out of four sets in improving to 2-1 on the season.

And if that weren't enough, fifth-year middle blocker Ethan Duncan made his return to the Duckworth after nearly three years away from the game and notched nine kills with two aces and two block assists. Duncan served as an assistant coach with the team last season. 

Libero Carson Brennan, making his first home appearance as the team's starting defensive specialist, had six digs, which tied setter Alex Krykewich for the team-high.

The Spartans (1-2) were led by Henry Rempel's season-high 22 kills, and Kaden Schmidt added 12. 

The two teams finish the weekend series with a 5 p.m. first serve Saturday. Tickets are available online at wesmen.ca/tickets