VANCOUVER -
Joe Cordonier led the UBC Thunderbirds to a 3-1 win (25-11, 25-27, 25-23, 25-19) over the Regina Cougars with a perfect 10-for-10 hitting performance on Friday at War Memorial Gym. The win clinched a postseason berth for the T-Birds and eliminated the Cougars from playoff contention.
It was a big day for the biggest T-Birds, as the UBC middles set the offensive pace of the match.
Yari Kozel finished with five kills on eight attacks, including a powerful spike on match point to seal the win, but it was Cordonier who stole the show with 10 kills in as many attacks.
UBC head coach
Richard Schick was impressed with his team's ability to overcome height disadvantages and remain efficient offensively by hitting crafty shots in tight spaces, rather than relying on over-the-top shots.
"When there's just a small space to hit the ball through, that's where they have to hit it, and it sounds difficult but we train to hit that shot," said Schick. "We train to have your arm up and ready to go, because we're not going to be hitting over the top. We have to be smart and hit seams, and that goes for everybody, but Joe provided the best example of that with how efficient he was attacking."
One of Cordonier's most important kills of the night came on game point in the third set. The Cougars had all the momentum after pulling off a dramatic win in the second set and storming back to erase a deficit late in the third, but Cordonier was able to find a hole in the Regina block and give his side the 2-1 match lead with his eighth kill of the night.
The T-Birds hit .429 in that third set and would go on to hit .469 in the fourth, but even that wasn't their best effort. They came storming out of the gate with just one error and a .526 hitting percentage in the first, while the Cougars were held to -.148 hitting in the frame, posting 12 errors in the process. UBC finished the set on a 9-0 run to take it 25-11.
The Cougars flipped the script on the home side in the second set though, taking a big early lead before the T-Birds clawed their way back into it late. Down as many as seven points, the 'Birds had tied the set up at 23 and then went up one to give themselves a shot at game point, but the Cougars survived, regained the lead, and finished it with an ace from Joel Colter.
"For us to battle back and then not come through at the end when we had regained the advantage, that's something that we have to learn to push through if we want to be there in the end," said Schick. "If we continue to not come through in those clutch times, it's going to be more of a struggle for us."
The T-Birds made 10 errors in the frame, and went from .526 hitting in the first to .027 in the second.
"You can live with a team making mistakes when you've told them to try certain things," said Schick. "It's when we are making mistakes and not trying what's being asked of us that can be frustrating."
Fifth-years
Ryan Zwarich and
Blair Bann are playing in their final CIS home games this weekend, and both put up strong numbers to punctuate seniors night at UBC. Zwarich had 44 assists and added two kills on two attacks, while Bann added to his Canada West digs lead with 15 more on the night.
Demijan Savija and
Tanner Kozak led the T-Birds with 11 kills each. Jamie Wilkins paced Regina with 16 kills.
With the win, the 'Birds clinch the seventh and final playoff spot in Canada West, as they improve to 6-9 on the year. Regina and Winnipeg were both within striking distance of UBC heading into the night, but both fell to 2-13, and are now out of playoff contention. UBC could still finish as high as fifth depending on their results in the final three games.
The T-Birds and Cougars will wrap up their series tomorrow night at War Memorial Gym. The action begins at 8 p.m.
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