VANCOUVER - In Canada West women's volleyball, the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds bounced back to defeat No. 2-ranked Alberta three sets to one (18-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-16) in Edmonton on Saturday, splitting the two-match series with the Pandas.
Tied at one set all, and 12-12 in the third set, UBC fought back against a 3-0 Pandas run, rallying to score seven of the nine points to re-take the lead for the last time in the set. The Thunderbirds would go on to win the set 25-17, and stay ahead of Alberta the rest of the way in the match.
UBC led the fourth set start to finish beginning with a four-point run on serve with 4th-year setter
Brina Derksen-Bergen, who collected match-highs of 4 aces, 27 assists.
After a Pandas-dominated first set, the Thunderbirds were able to turn the tide with strong attacking by second-year hitter
Rosie Schlagintweit (team-high 11 kills) and fourth-year libero
Danielle Richards (9 digs).
UBC head coach
Doug Reimer noted, “Rosie and Dannie coming in after set one were huge positive aspects for our ability to turn things around.”
The Pandas saw strong performances by Kazakhstan-imported rookie hitter Alena Omelchenko (match-high 12 kills, plus 10 digs), and fourth-year hitter Alyssa Jones (11 kills, 8 assists).
In Friday's match, UBC lost 5th-year hitter
Kyla Richey to injury, as 2nd-year hitter
Abbey Keeping (10 kills, 44% attacking percentage) started in her place on Saturday.
Coach Reimer added, “I was very proud of our ability to come back tonight from the loss last night, losing Kyla to injury, and having other players battling injury and sickness. Overall, we served better and settled down to make fewer errors.”
In the conference standings, UBC improves to 9-1 in second place with two matches in hand against Winnipeg (10-2), while Alberta slips into a three-way 7-3 tie at third place alongside Trinity Western and Manitoba.
Following the winter break, all Canada West volleyball teams enjoy a bye-week to start the 2012 calendar.
On Jan. 13th and Jan. 14th, Alberta travels to Langley, BC to battle the number-nine ranked Trinity Western Spartans, while UBC returns to action on home court at War Memorial Gymnasium to face the eighth place Thompson Rivers Wolfpack (4-8).
