SASKATOON – The UBC Thunderbirds salvaged a weekend split with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies after a 3-1 (18-25, 25-15, 15-14, 25-22) win Saturday night at the PAC in Saskatoon.
 
With the split both teams open the 2016-17 Canada West men's volleyball season 1-1. A night earlier, the Huskies won 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20).

"We just didn't really execute that well in the first set," said first year UBC Head Coach Kerry MacDonald, who got his first career Canada West victory on the evening. "In the second and third set we responded really well. We've really been preaching to stay in the moment and playing point by point. That's what we did."
 
Saskatchewan took a large lead in the first set after a Joel Regehr service error tied the game at 10. An Andrew Nelson service run that included two aces gave the Huskies a 14-10 lead. UBC couldn't string together a run to get back in the set, giving the Huskies a 25-18 win.
 
The T-Birds quickly found offence winning the next three sets for the match win.


 
 UBC jumped to a large lead in second set and held on for the 25-15 win. In the second set the teams were tied five times, before UBC broke away on a Huskies' service error at 9-8. Saskatchewan never was able to regain the lead and two Byron Keturakis aces ended the set 25-14.
 
After the T-Birds took a held a four-point lead for most of the fourth set, Saskatchewan pulled within one at 16-15 after Keturakis attack sailed out of the court.  The teams stayed tight until a Cam Fennema ace pulled UBC ahead at 21-18. A Saskatchewan service error ended the set and match 25-22.

"The win is nice, but I'm more happy to see the growth and progress with the group," said MacDonald. "I like seeing the guys getting better. The win is a nice by-product of that."
 
Guidi led the T-Birds with 12 kills, while Fennema added another 11. Tyson Smith and Keturakis each recorded eight digs.
 
Nelson led the Huskies with 11 kills and seven digs. Fraser added another 10 kills for Saskatchewan.
 
UBC returns home to host the Winnipeg Wesmen, while the Huskies travel to Edmonton to meet the MacEwan Griffins.