VANCOUVER - For the third consecutive season, the UBC Thunderbirds will finish first in the Canada West regular season standings, earning a first-round playoff bye and hosting rights for the conference final four, thanks to their 3-0 win over the Brandon Bobcats (25-15, 25-21, 25-14) on Friday night at War Memorial Gym.
The win moves UBC to 16-1 on the year, and second-place Trinity Western's Friday loss to Calgary drops them to 12-5. Both teams have one game remaining in their current weekend series before finishing the regular season with two head-to-head matches in Langley.
Just about everyone on the roster got in on the action for UBC on Friday. At least one kill was recorded by 10 different T-Birds, and 14 players in total made appearances on the court.
Fittingly enough on seniors' night, it was fifth-year
Kyla Richey leading the way with 10 kills. She was honoured for her brilliant UBC career after the match along with fellow fifth-year
Rayel Quiring. The pair have won national championships in every one of their CIS seasons so far, and with top spot in the conference locked up, they can now set their sights on making it five for five.
Richey was also in on four of UBC's nine blocks, including one solo block. Quiring had six kills on just 13 swings and added two blocks of her own.
The T-Birds were aided by 10 Bobcat errors in a first set that was never really close, but the visitors gave the defending champs a run for their money in the second.
Neither side led by more than a point in the second set until a 4-0 UBC run put them on top 19-16, and they were able to hold onto that cushion the rest of the way despite a strong Bobcats blocking effort. Eventually it was Quiring who struck the final blow with a kill on set point.
The 'Birds started out the third set by getting into a 4-1 hole, but immediately went on a 6-0 run to dig their way out, highlighted by a kill and two aces from
Shanice Marcelle. They rode that momentum to another easy set win, out-hitting Brandon .344 to .059 in the set.
Marcelle had nine kills, three aces and 13 digs in a well-rounded effort.
Lisa Barclay added seven kills and three blocks for UBC.
Victoria Dakin led the Bobcats with eight kills on .227 hitting. She was only one of two Bobcats to hit over .100 for the match.
Brandon falls to 8-9 with the loss, barely hanging on to the seventh and final playoff spot over 8-10 Thompson Rivers, who are inactive this week.
UBC and Brandon wrap up the series on Saturday at War Memorial Gym beginning at 5 p.m.
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