EDMONTON — The Winnipeg Wesmen got off to a hot start but couldn't sustain it against the nation's No. 1 team.

The Wesmen women's volleyball team held off the Alberta Pandas in Set 1, but ultimately dropped a 3-1 (23–25, 25–14, 25–17, 25–11) decision in the opening match of their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final Thursday night at the Saville Centre. 

Match 2, as the Wesmen try to keep their season alive, goes Friday at 7 p.m. CT on Canada West TV. 

The Wesmen got their night started with a key run early in the first set winning six of seven points to turn an 8-7 deficit into a 13-9 advantage. After Alberta pulled to 13-12 with three straight points, the Wesmen tore off a three-point run of their own to re-establish their four-point lead and then, after an Abby Guezen kill, ripped off three more to lead by six. 

The top-seeded Pandas, however, managed to eventually pull even at 22 but two Alberta errors and a kill by Brooke Duncalfe gave the Wesmen the set win. 

Alberta, however, asserted itself in the final three sets hitting.333 in Sets 2 through 4 while holding the Wesmen to 24 kills in that stretch. 

Winnipeg, which advanced to the quarters with a series win over Calgary last weekend, hit -.125 in the fourth set and finished at .029 for the match. 

Duncalfe led the Wesmen with nine kills, the first match in her past seven where she's been held to single digits. Ella Werbiski added eight kills and a team-high 12 digs. 

Megan Kendziora had 11 digs and Taylor Cangemi 10.

The Pandas were led by Guezen's 15 kills and match-high 19 digs. Laila Johnston added 13 kills and Ronnie Dickson chipped in with 11.