- with files from McMaster University Sports Information
HAMILTON, Ont. (CIS) – The second-seeded University of British Columbia Thunderbirds extended their amazing streak to five consecutive CIS women's volleyball titles on Sunday thanks to a come-from-behind 25-21, 15-25, 19-25, 25-20, 15-12 gold medal win over the No. 1 Alberta Pandas at McMaster University's Arthur Burridge Gymnasium.
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The deciding set saw UBC take control after the switch when they took the lead 8-7 – a lead they would never relinquish. The Thunderbirds collected five quick points and then pecked away to until the championship point at 15-12.
Lisa Barclay of Brandon, Man, had three kills in that final set and was named UBC's top player in the game and collected Tournament-MVP honours as she helped the T-Birds extend their championship dynasty.
The second-year player registered 18.5 points on 12 kills, five service aces and 1.5 blocks in the game.
One kill made it 11-8 for UBC. Then a combination block by Victoria, B.C. natives
Shanice Marcelle and
Jessica von Schilling pushed the lead to 12-8, the largest of the set for the Thunderbirds. Alberta called timeout and rallied back to 13-11 and 14-12 but couldn't extend the match any further.
"We just really knew that Alberta's an amazing team and we had to take every point seriously. We're not invincible," said Barclay. "So we had to come out and play - we learned that last weekend. Coming out we really wanted this and fought really hard so I thought we deserved it in the end."
Needing a victory in the fourth set, UBC came out strong with kills from
Abbey Keeping (Surrey, B.C.),
Kyla Richey of Roberts Creek, B.C., and Marcelle only to see Alberta re-take the lead at 7-5.
But with the team staring at the brink of a loss, the Thunderbirds and eventually took the lead at 10-9. With the momentum on their side they used a 10-3 run to push the game to 22-14 which was too much for the Pandas to overcome after a late push handing the set to UBC at 25-20.
The T-Birds got contributions from all over the floor in that set-changing run. Keeping and
Rayel Quiring of Langley, B.C. threw in aces, while Marcelle and Barclay recorded huge digs that allowed UBC to win a point that made it 17-13.
The fourth-set run was capped off with a combination block from von Schilling and Barclay that knocked the ball right to the Alberta end line for the point, which put the score at 22-14 in favour of UBC.
The second and third sets were all Alberta with the Panda's opening on a 6-0 run in the second set and a 9-3 run in the third set. In both sets, Alberta never relinquished the lead and looked much stronger then the defending champion T-Birds. They neutralized the play of Richey and forced UBC to make errors.
The entire game was about momentum with UBC finding themselves down 10-6 early in the opening set. However patience paid off as the T-Birds stayed within striking distance. Down 20-16 they used a 9-1 run to pass the Pandas to take the initial set 25-21.
Again, it was Barclay that provided the spark as UBC won five points in that set-ending run on Barclay's serve, which gave the Pandas all sorts of trouble on the day and helped force Alberta into errors, especially late in the first set.
UBC head coach
Doug Reimer thought his team did well in staying close with Alberta, who in his mind outplayed the T-Birds for much of the match.
"We found a way. I think of the first set as symbolic of the rest," said Reimer "We were able to hang in there and turn things around. I couldn't be prouder of this group. A lot of teams when they are getting it handed to them and when it's not what you are excepting to happen... they kinda go away. We never did."
After topping the national rankings the entire season, the T-Birds entered the CIS tournament as the No. 2 seed following a five-set loss to the Pandas in last Saturday's Canada West conference final.
With today's triumph, UBC adds to its record overall total with a ninth CIS banner in the sport, two more than Alberta and Winnipeg. The victory also brings the T-Birds to within one of the all-time mark of six titles in a row, a record shared by the Pandas and Winnipeg.
Richey and Quiring become the first non-swimmers to win five CIS titles at UBC.
It was the third time over their current run that the Thunderbirds were pushed to five sets in the national final. They edged Montreal and Calgary 3-2 in 2008 and 2009, respectively, before defeating Manitoba 3-1 in 2010 and Laval 3-0 a year ago.
For the Pandas, the silver medal is their best result at the CIS tournament since they captured their last title in 2007.
Reigning CIS player of the year Richey was neutralized by Alberta's defence finishing with just eight points but defensively she held her own with 18 digs in the win. Marcelle also posted 18 digs and was named to the tournament all-star team.
Alberta's Alena Omelchenko of Almaty, Kazakhstan, was the game's most productive player registering 24 points with a game high 19 kills. She was a tournament all-star and Alberta's player of the match. Erin Walsh of Edmonton was a main part of Alberta's defence tallying 21 digs.
Walsh who played in her last game was disappointed that Alberta didn't accomplish its goal of breaking UBC's volleyball reign.
"It's an accomplishment to get where we are, but I'm not feeling happy about it right now. Our goal was to win gold. It's a great way to end a career and there are lots more good things to come [in my future], but unfortunately not what I wanted."
Setter
Brina Derksen-Bergen of Abbotsford, B.C. was credited with 27 assists in the win while her counterpart Jaki Ellis of Mississauga, Ont., recorded a game high 29 for Alberta. Both Derksen-Bergen and Ellis were named tournament all-stars.
The University of Sherbrooke will host the 2013 CIS championship in Sherbrooke, Que.
NOTES: Canada West teams have now won the last six CIS titles and 27 of the last 30 (including teams from the now defunct GPAC)... The team which took the opening point in each set ended up winning the set; UBC took the first point in the first, fourth and fifth set whereas Alberta registered the opening point in the second and third sets... Heading into today's match, UBC and Alberta had split their previous four matches this season (2-2). They needed five sets in to decide the match in all but one of their five meetings this season.
CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-STARS
Tournament MVP:
Lisa Barclay, UBC
R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award:
Briana Liau Kent, UBC
Tournament All-Stars:
Lisa Barclay, UBC
Shanice Marcelle, UBC
Brina Derksen-Bergen, UBC
Alena Omelchenko, Alberta
Jaki Ellis, Alberta
Geneviève Plante, McGill
Marie-Sophie Nadeau, Montreal
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