The University of British Columbia Athletics

VANCOUVER – The Brandon Bobcats took game one of this weekend's clash between the top two teams in the CIS, snapping a 39-match UBC Thunderbirds win streak as they topped the defending champs 3-1 (20-25, 25-21, 25-23, 26-24) on Friday night at War Memorial Gym.


 
As with any tight match between two elite teams, there was no shortage of close plays that narrowly went one way or another to produce a significant swing in fortunes. But the night really hinged on a key stretch late in the third set, with the teams tied 1-1 overall and UBC building a big lead, looking poised to go up 2-1.
 
The T-Birds had their lead up to a high of eight points at 22-14 when the Bobcats exploded for a 9-0 run to stun the UBC crowd and take the lead 23-22. That run came on Shanlee McLennan's serve and included one ace from her, but the big star of that stretch was Brandon middle Alexis Loewen. She racked up four blocks and one kill during that run, adding another kill shortly after it ended to make it 24-23 Brandon and give them a set point opportunity, which they capitalized on to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Then the 'Birds built up another solid lead in the fourth set, this one topping out at a five-point cushion, only for Brandon to tear it down again. UBC led 15-10 before the Bobcats set off on a 10-4 run to take the lead. The teams were neck-and-neck down the stretch until Vaovai Aiono pushed the visitors over the top with a booming ace from the service line to make it 24-24, and then a big kill to put the Bobcats up 25-24 before another block sealed the match for them.
 
"When you look at the last two sets and especially the third, we were actually playing quite well and seemed in control, but just lacked some finish," said UBC head coach Doug Reimer. "I give Brandon credit there for extending that run with good play and good serving, but overall it wasn't really a tale of the score sheet. It was just all these little other plays we weren't making, maybe pressing too much, and it's something we have to address and be ready for tomorrow."
 
Loewen and Aiono tied for the team lead with eight kills each to power the Brandon offence. Loewen had nine block assists and one solo block to stamp her mark on the game defensively as well.
 
McLennan added six kills and three block assists, and really did some damage at the service line with four of Brandon's 10 aces. The serving game as a whole was one of the key deciding factors for the Bobcats, who had 10 aces and nine errors at the line compared to five aces and 14 errors for UBC. And in the serve receive game, the Bobcats posted a team percentage of .937, while UBC was at .870.
 
"Serve receive was a bit of an issue for us, and it was generally a positive for them, so tracking that overall I'd say they won that serve and pass game," Reimer said. "They did a nice job coming into this place, and they were really geared for it. But I think a lot of out players would say that wasn't the effort we want."
 
Lisa Barclay and Rosie Schlagintweit led UBC with 15 kills each, and both were instrumental defensively as well, combining for four solo blocks and seven block assists. Middle Abbey Keeping was a monster at the net for UBC, with four solos and seven block assists of her own.
 
The loss is UBC's first since October 27, 2012, when they went down 3-1 on the road against Trinity Western. Reimer said he doesn't buy the idea that his team was "due" to lose or needed this to get refocused, but he did say that experiencing some adversity in preparation for the postseason is always a good learning opportunity. Situations like Friday's match, which swung dramatically on just a couple points here and there, certainly fit the bill.
 
"You never know if those one or two little plays you might make in a run that can get you out of a set," said Reimer. "If we make those plays and close out the third set, maybe we're 2-1. And then, can we finish set four? You may only be two or three points away, but you've got to earn those two or three."
 
The win pulls Brandon to within two games of UBC in the standings at 12-3. The Thunderbirds drop to 14-1. These teams finish off the set on Saturday with game two at 5 p.m., once again at War Memorial Gym.
 
-30-