KELOWNA, B.C. – Irvan Brar (Surrey, B.C.) knocked down 17 kills while recording an efficient .500 hitting percentage to lead the No. 6 UBC Thunderbirds to a 3-1 victory over the UBC Okanagan Heat in Kelowna, B.C., on Friday night.
 
Fourth-year Heat outside hitter Alex Swiatlowski had a career-high 23 kills in a losing cause.
 
The Thunderbirds took the opening set (27-25), the Heat rallied to take the second set (25-23), and then the Thunderbirds took sets three (25-17) and four (25-22) to close out the win, their first on the road since November 21, 2015. It is UBC Okanagan's sixth straight loss in conference competition, and they have yet to win a match in 2016.

Byron Keturakis (Surrey, B.C.) led the Thunderbirds in assists with 29, and Kristof Schlagintweit led the Heat with 44. Digs leaders were Jacob Smith (Surrey, B.C.) for UBC with 10, and Eli Risso for UBC Okanagan with 12.

The first set of the match saw strong play from both teams, with UBC taking the most evenly played frame by a score of 27-25. Both teams scored 13 kills in the set, with the Thunderbirds recording the slightly higher attack percentage of .321 to the Heat's .296. Swiatlowski finished the first set with five kills.

The second set was just as closely contested as the first, but UBC Okanagan came back strong to take the frame, 25-23. The Heat led the second frame in kills, 14-12, but had the lesser attack percentage, .241, compared to the Thunderbirds' .348. Swiatolwski dropped seven kills in the second set, he also recorded his only block and three of his match-high four service aces in the only set the home team took on the night.

UBC took the third set 25-17, scoring the final point on an emphatic kill by Brar. UBC scored 17 kills in the set, with an attack percentage of .516, well above their season average of .248; UBC Okanagan scored 13 kills, for a .333 percentage.

The fourth and final set of the match saw UBC maintain their offensive power, putting away 15 kills and earning a .364 attack percentage, while holding UBC Okanagan to a .219 percentage, for 14 kills. Swiatlowski had eight of those 14 in the fourth set to give him a new personal best. The Heat rallied late in the set, scoring four in a row to pull within one (19-18 in favour of UBC) at one point, then breaking three straight set points to make it 24-22 for the Thunderbirds, but a kill by UBC setter Keturakis put an end to the comeback, and the match.

UBC won the statistical matchup as well, earning more kills (57-54), a greater attack percentage (.391-.271), more assists (51-50), digs (38-36) total blocks (9-7), and block assists (14-6); UBC Okanagan led one positive statistical category, in service aces (8-5).

After snapping their two-game losing streak, the Thunderbirds now hold a record of 11-6, and the Heat now sit at 3-14 on the season. The two teams will face off again tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the UBC Okanagan gym.