VANCOUVER - In their first game back after a lengthy winter break, the UBC Thunderbirds prevailed in a five-set marathon 3-2 (25-21, 26-24, 23-25, 18-25, 15-5) over the UBCO Heat at War Memorial Gym.
The 'Birds were lead by the
Irvan Brar who put away 11 kills to go along with 12 digs. Matt Guidi had a solid night as well leading UBC with 15 kills and also adding 10 digs.
The Heat were paced by the exceptional attacking of Alex Swiatlowski (19 kills) and the stingy defence of Eli Risso (15 digs).
Byron Keturakis started the match with a monstrous serve, and Brar got on the board early with a punishing kill as the teams were even at 2 points apiece. Both sides went shot-for-shot in a tightly matched first set, with the UBCO defence neutralizing the T-Bird attack time and time again.
A Heat block extended their lead to 20-16, but Brar dropped a cheeky chip shot and
Joel Regehr served a cannon followed by a change-up to draw the 'Birds back within one. UBC took the lead on yet another block, and Keturakis served to take the first set 25-21.
UBCO came out firing in the second up 10-5, but
Tyson Smith saved a diving one-handed dig and Brar smoked one of his 11 kills to make it 10-8. Keturakis then served back-to-back aces to take the lead 12-11, but UBCO's Lars Bornemann served two of his own aces to go ahead 15-14. The back and forth battle continued at 24-24 when
Cam Fennema smacked a cross-court kill to give the 'Birds a set point. Guidi closed out the second set with a punishing blow of his own to win it 26-24.
Brar kept swinging in the third, cracking a thundering kill that knocked the Heat's Eli Risso off his feet – but UBCO pushed back to take the lead 14-11. Regehr earned one of his 5 kills to bring UBC to within one at 18-17, but it was too little too late as UBCO took the third set 25-23.
The Heat carried the momentum into the fourth, jumping out to an 8-3 lead, keyed by back-to-back service aces by Kyle Finchey, and rolled to a 25-18 win to force a fifth and deciding set.
UBC was re-energized in the final set and lead from top to tail, as a Fennema ace gave the 'Birds a five-point cushion in up 9-4. Guidi closed it out with the kill to win the set 15-5.
"I think the first four sets I think both teams played really well in spurts and quite poorly in spurts," said UBC Head Coach
Kerry MacDonald. "We saved our best volleyball for the fifth. I don't think there's any magic to it, it just came together for us."
Regehr knew the fifth set was their best of the night. "We played a lot more as a team, we were less worried about individual performance and we all came together."
Coach MacDonald anticipates a better performance on night two of the double header on Saturday at 6:30 pm. "I expect us to be more consistent, but at the same time I know they'll do the same – so it should be another battle."
