VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds downed the UBC Okanagan Heat in three sets for the second straight night, winning 25-12, 25-19, 25-19 on Saturday night at War Memorial Gym to extend their win streak to 16 games.
BOX SCORE
The Heat couldn't stop UBC's big guns on the outside, as both
Shanice Marcelle and
Lisa Barclay had their way offensively for most of the match.
Marcelle dominated the first set with a great serving run and three aces to compliment her four kills on just seven attacks. Barclay also had five kills in the frame and the Heat never got back in contention after their slow start.
The second and third sets were more competitive, as the Heat defence stepped up at the net and in the digs department to slow the 'Birds down. UBC's sideout percentage dropped from 83 per cent in the first set to the 60s in the final two, but they were still too much for the Heat to handle down the stretch. Barclay closed out the second set with three kills on the final four points, and Marcelle had the last two kills of the third set to put the match on ice.
“I don't think they got off to the best start in set one,” UBC head coach
Doug Reimer said of the Heat. “I was pleased with how we just kept pushing though because you saw in those last two sets that they find ways to put pressure on you. I think they played good defence and scrapped hard which required us to stay patient. For us to win 3-0 3-0 this weekend and keep them under 20 points today is solid.”
Barclay finished with a match-high 13 kills. Marcelle racked up 11 and added four aces and eight digs.
The 'Birds also got some great offence out of the middle, with
Mariah Bruinsma and
Jessica von Schilling splitting 10 kills evenly on just 16 total attacks.
“That's a good sign for us to have that balance,” Reimer said. “I thought most people were hitting the ball pretty well because they were digging some good balls too, so for us to hit .280 as a team was really nice.”
The win makes it 16 straight for the T-Birds, who are 17-1 in conference action. It's also their ninth straight-sets win in a row, but Reimer says his side still looks sharp and won't become complacent.
“We had sets this weekend where we fought through some things and had to recover from some mistakes and come back and it wasn't automatic. That's what is useful, to be able to perform in those spots. This group is not overconfident and they are staying focused.”
Alexandra Basso and Megan Festival tied for the Heat kills lead with eight each. Festival also made big contributions defensively and led her team with 11 digs.
The Heat fall to 11-7, and will be on the road again next week to take on Winnipeg.
UBC also hits the road next weekend for a series against Brandon. Their last regular season series will be at home against Mount Royal on February 8 and 9.
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