BRANDON – The UBC Thunderbirds suffered a weekend sweep at the hands of the host Brandon Bobcats in four sets Saturday night at the Healthy Living Centre (23-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22).
 
Seth Friesen had 15 kills for the second-ranked Bobcats, while Elliott Viles was next with 13 kills for BU.
 
UBC's offence was led by James Takken, who recorded 15 kills, while Danny Aspenlieder added 14 kills for T-Birds who fall to 0-6 on the season.


 
Brandon's 5-1 run had them in control midway through the first, but UBC countered with an 8-1 run late to take the opener over the Bobcats.
 
In the second set, Brandon bounced back. The Bobcats strung together five straight points right off the bat. They added a 5-1 run down the stretch and the damage was done.
 
The third set was a seesaw affair, until a 6-1 Brandon run turned a 13-12 deficit into an 18-14 advantage. The T-Birds fought off a pair of set points, but they couldn't complete the comeback.


 
The fourth set saw a series of momentum swings with the Bobcats eventually emerging victorious.
 
BU's lead was 10-7, but the Thunderbirds turned the tables by scoring seven straight points. At the technical timeout, UBC was up 16-12. The Bobcats responded with a string of four in row to pull even. The fourth was deadlocked 20-20, before Brandon pulled ahead for good, thanks to a dramatic 6-1 run.

"We are still working on some intensity aspects," said UBC captain Joel Regehr. "Everybody wants to be here and wants to win. We are all on the same page.
 
The T-Birds will look for their first win next weekend when they visit the Manitoba Bisons Friday and Saturday.