QUEBEC CITY (CIS) – For a fourth straight year, the first-seeded and three-time defending national champions UBC Thunderbirds will appear in the final game of the CIS women's volleyball championship, thanks to a quick three-set win over the No. 4 University of Alberta Pandas Saturday evening at University Laval's PEPS Stadium.
Championship website
The Canada West champions T-Birds also swept their semifinal match for a third consecutive year. The championship final will be played Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Quebec City against the home crowd favourites University Laval Rouge et Or who defeated Trinity Western 3-1 in the second semi-final.
UBC will also participate in the final game of the tournament for the sixth time in the last seven years, trying to become the most titled team in CIS women's volleyball history. The Thunderbirds are now tied with the Pandas with six titles each.
As for the Alberta players, they will battle for bronze Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against the loser of the TWU-Laval clash.
There were several long exchanges between the two Canada West rivals and great digs by both teams, although many of them favoured the T-Birds.
With an early 12-3 lead, UBC created a gap that was almost impossible to overcome. Despite the considerable distance, the Pandas never quit and narrowed it down to 22-17 for the T-Birds, but the reigning champs put an end to the set with three unanswered points.
The next set was a carbon copy of the previous one with early leads of 9-4 and 18-9 in favour of UBC. The B.C. formation completed the job quickly, taking the set 25-15.
The Pandas were much more convincing in the final set. Down 16-11, Alberta came back to within one point at 18-17. But the Thunderbirds had one idea in mind, which was to finish the work. That's exactly what happened, UBC taking the last set 25-22.
“It's kind of night and day compared to yesterday (Friday),” said UBC's coach
Doug Reimer. “We were ready to go. Everybody did a very good and consistent job through three sets which against a team like Alberta is not easy to do.”
“I was prepared for a very long and tough match - that was my expectation. I don't have the feeling that Alberta didn't show up to play. I think we won that match,” added Reimer.
“We haven't played that lineup since we played them last in November, before the national team athletes returned,” commented Alberta's pilot Laurie Esiler. “
Kyla Richey and
Jen Hinze bring a lot to the table, and they were a tough opponent before those ones came back, so hats off to them, they are great champions.”
UBC setter
Brina Derksen-Bergen efficiently distributed the ball with 42 assists, which was enough to receive the player of the game title. For Alberta, Krista Zubick was selected the game MVP. Zubick had nine kills and six digs.
STATS LEADERS
UBC
Kills:
Shanice Marcelle (16),
Kyla Richey (15)
Points:
Shanice Marcelle (17.5),
Kyla Richey (16),
Mariah Bruinsma (13.5)
Blocks:
Mariah Bruinsma (2.5)
Digs:
Shanice Marcelle (19),
Rayel Quiring (16)
Service aces:
Mariah Bruinsma (5),
Lauren Whitehead (2)
Assists:
Brina Derksen-Bergen (42)
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