VANCOUVER - The no. 1 ranked UBC Thunderbirds rolled past the SFU Clan 3-0 to move their record to a perfect 9-0 Friday night at War Memorial Gym. The win, which closes out 2009, was made more impressive by the fact that the T-Birds were missing their captain, fifth-year setter
Katie Tyzuk.
With Tyzuk out of the line-up UBC (9-0) supplanted their attack with second-year setter
Brina Derksen-Bergen, who made her first start of the regular season. Derksen-Bergen commanded the potent T-Bird offence with the precision and familiarity of a seasoned veteran collecting 32 set assists to lead her team by the Clan (1-8) by set scores of 25-13, 25-12 and 25-23.
The match began much the same way every match has begun so far this season for the T-Birds, with the home side grabbing the early lead as fourth year middle blocker
Jen Hinze recorded two kills and two blocks to stake her side to an 8-5 lead. UBC doubled their lead at the second technical time out thanks in part to three kills by fifth-year outside hitter
Liz Cordonier to lead 16-10. The offensive juggernaut that is the Thunderbird attack closed out the set on an 8-3 run on the strength of three kills from
Shanice Marcelle and a thunderous kill by Cordonier closed out the set.
Set number two was even more one sided as the T-Birds raced out to an 8-2 lead with
Kyla Richey leading the way with three early kills. Costly SFU attacking errors and two more kills by Cordonier allowed UBC to stretch their lead to 11 at the second break. Second-year middle blocker
Jessica von Schilling, seeing some quality court time, made an impression late in the set scoring three blocks and a kill as the 'Birds extended their lead to 16 before coasting to a 25-12 set win.
UBC head coach
Doug Reimer decided to rest some of his starters in the third set giving his squad a chance to showcase their depth.
Rayel Quiring,
Lauren Whitehead and especially von Schilling were key in the final frame, which was tightly contested by the visitors.
SFU took their first lead, 8-7, at the first break. A von Schilling block set up a 4-0 run on Whitehead's serve to get the T-Birds back out in front 16-14 at the second technical timeout.
The teams traded points with neither side able to pull away until a Marcelle kill seemed to grab the momentum for the T-Birds. The Clan were resilient answering with an ace by Colleen Douville. Then with the score 24-23 for the 'Birds, Quiring had a well placed over that forced SFU into returning a free ball. This set up a massive back row attack from Marcelle that finished off the match.
The Thunderbirds open the second half of the season on the road January 8th and 9th against the No. 4 Regina Cougars. SFU will look to rebound when the kick off 2010 by hosting the No. 6 Brandon Bobcats that same weekend.
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