The University of British Columbia Athletics

Vancouver, BC - Trinity Western spoiled UBC's home opener, defeating the Thunderbirds 3-1 (26-28, 25-11, 25-20, 25-17) Saturday night at War Memorial Gym. With the victory the Spartans swept the two-game weekend series.
 
Ben Chow, Brad Kufske, and Nicholas Del Bianco led the night with 13 kills, while Ryan Sclater and Lucas Van Berkel fell not far behind with 12 apiece.


 
The first set opened with immediate competitive play. Both teams came out energized and looking to make their mark quickly in the game. UBC gained an early six-point lead, gained largely because of effective communication and smart attacks. TWU relied heavily on their front line and strong blocks, while UBC looked to their outside hitters Alex Russell, Chris Howe, and Ben Chow to maintain the offensive dynamic. Ian Perry created countless scoring opportunities for the 'Birds, and Quentin Schmidt played a huge role on the net. Will Dichuk lead UBC with 6 kills, while Alex Russell contributed 4. On the Spartan side, both Lucas Van Berkel and Nicholas Del Bianco had 4 kills, while Brad Kufske and Ryan Sclater each had 3. After nail-biting back and forth play UBC's Gabriel Aaron's kill helped the 'Birds clinch the first set 28-26.

 
In the second, Trinity came out strong and took a quick lead. UBC persevered and was led largely by Ian Perry, who utilized well-placed setting to get the 'Birds back into the game. Ryan Sclater led the attack for the Spartans, contributing 4 kills in the set. Despite UBC's best efforts, Trinity remained ahead and won the second set, 25-11.
 
The level of play in the third set much resembled that of the first, in that both teams became much more engaged and competitive. As the game see-sawed back and forth between teams, blocking became more essential, and UBC's Alex Russell, Ben Chow, and Will Dichuk stepped-up to the challenge. Chow made a huge impact on the court in this set, utilizing powerful serves and huge hits to keep the 'Birds in the game; Chow had 6 kills in the set. Trinity's Brad Kufske had 4 kills in the set, while Ryan Sclater, Nicholas Del Biano, and Lucas Van Berkel each contributed 3. Towards the end of the set, Trinity began to pull away and clinched the third set with a 25-20 win.
 
In the fourth, the Spartans came out determined and took a dominant lead over the 'Birds. Lucas Van Berkel and Brad Kufske both threw down 4 kills for the Spartans, while Ben Chow and Gabriel Aaron each had 3 for UBC. Despite UBC's perseverance, Trinity pulled away and finished the game with a 25-17 win.
 
The Thunderbirds will play host to the University of Manitoba for a two-game series next weekend beginning Friday November 1 at 8:00 pm at War Memorial Gym.