VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds men's volleyball team won a convincing victory against the UBC Okanagan Heat in three sets during their Canada West match Saturday night in Kelowna.
"Our statistics weren't great but we have to gut these wins out," said UBC head coach
Richard Schick. "This was a gutsy win because UBC O is a very good squad and they're going to beat a lot of teams this year. They've got some guys that bang and I just think that we stuck a little closer to the game plan tonight, which is what we wanted to do."
The Thunderbirds fought hard to win the first set with a 27-25 victory against the host team.
UBC was down 20-14 before reeling off a big run to take the set.
The Thunderbirds used the momentum from the tight first set victory to control the court in the second set with another win, 25-20.
The Heat tried to regain composure in the third set, but the match concluded with a 25-21 loss to the Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds' freshman outside hitter
Noah Derksen (1st, Winnipeg, MB) dominated with eight kills out of 19 total attacks and a .368 average.
"We played much more aggressive," said Schick. "
Noah Derksen went in for
Robert Bennett and really had an outstanding match doing a lot of different things, passing, attacking, touching some balls up at the net, blocking and going on serving runs."
Setter
Chris Klassen (5th, Vancouver, BC) managed two kills and 28 assists. He set outside hitter
David Zeyha (2nd, Grande Prairie, AB) for his game high tenth kill to end the game in the third set.
"
Chris Klassen went in for Milan in the setters position and just seemed to calm things down a little bit and
Tanner Kozak was the third guy who went in and sparked us," explained Schick. "It was a combination of more rookies and more fifth-years that we're able to lean on, which we're lucky to have."
UBC Okanagan outside hitter Greg Niemantsverdriet (3rd, Vernon, BC) drove the Heat's efforts against the Thunderbirds with 12 kills of 31 attempts and a .323 average. Setter Preston Tucker (5th, Vernon, BC) contributed 29 assists to the Heat offensive effort.
Both teams now have a record of three wins and a loss after the first couple weekends of play in the Canada West Conference.
UBC will have a bye week before the team's home opener on Friday, Nov. 18 against the Saskatchewan Huskies.
UBC Okanagan will travel to Winnipeg next weekend for a two-game series against the No. 3 University of Manitoba.
- with files from Cary Mellon (UBC Okanagan Sports Information Director)
