VANCOUVER - Nothing came easy for the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday night against a tough Alberta Pandas squad, but the 'Birds showed the competitive spirit that has made them three-time defending national championships en route to a 3-1 win (25-20, 13-25, 25-23, 25-20) at War Memorial Gym.
With the exception of the second set, where UBC never got going and Alberta took an easy win, the two sides battled hard every step of the way. In both the third and fourth sets the T-Birds came from behind early to take a lead, only to have the Pandas claw back into contention late.
In the third set UBC went up 23-19 before a string of errors helped the Pandas survive three game-points and cut the lead to 24-23. But rookie
Lisa Barclay's cross-court kill finally closed it out for UBC on their fourth opportunity. It was a similar story in the fourth set, but again the 'Birds had just enough to hold off the Alberta comeback.
"The improved competitive toughness we showed today was great," said UBC head coach
Doug Reimer. "I think we built some confidence yesterday and carried it forward because that was a vastly improved Alberta team today and I thought we responded very well."
Shanice Marcelle had her way with Alberta on Friday, racking up 15 kills on .519 hitting, but the Pandas adjusted on Saturday, forcing UBC to find alternative sources of offence. That wasn't a problem for Reimer's team though, as four T-Birds hit double digits in kills thanks to excellent ball distribution by setter
Brina Derksen-Bergen. She had 38 assists and also led the game in digs with 17.
"One of the best signs for our team was the balance we showed tonight," said Reimer. "Four hitters with double digit kills, and therefore a ton of credit goes to Brina with the great choices she made."
Barclay led the team with 14 kills, but it was middle
Jessica von Schilling who gave the Pandas the most trouble. She had 12 kills on .611 hitting, and also added seven block-assists to lead all players in that category.
Rayel Quiring also had 12 kills, and Marcelle finished with 10.
Krista Zubick led the Pandas with 14 kills on .295 hitting. She also paced a solid Alberta serving effort with five aces and no service errors. As a team, Alberta had nine aces and just six service errors on the night.
The win moves UBC back to .500 at 2-2 on the year, while the third-ranked Pandas drop to 0-2.
The T-Birds' tough early schedule continues next week against yet another ranked opponent, as they will be on the road to take on Winnipeg, who they are tied with at No. 8 in the nation. The Pandas will return home in search of their first win against No. 4 Brandon.
-30-
