In their much-anticipated return to conference play, the UBC Thunderbirds earned their first victory of the season with an emphatic straight sets win (25-20, 25-12, 25-12) over the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades on Pride Night at War Memorial Gym.
"It was the perfect environment to kick things off," said UBC head coach
Mike Hawkins after the home-opening victory in front of a sold-out, energetic crowd. "We love playing on Pride Night. The buzz in the gym is unlike anything else we feel all season, so to kick off the year like this after so many months away feels really good."
Third-year T-Birds
Matt Neaves and
Michael Dowhaniuk served five aces each while contributing to the potent UBC attack that lifted the 'Birds to victory in the first regular season meeting between the two Canada West division rivals.
"We had a bit of an unorthodox preseason with lots of injuries and guys coming in and out of training," said Hawkins after coming off a bye week to start conference play. "It was nice to see the work we put in during preseason, around our systems and serving, pay off tonight. All night we were preaching about our mentality, and that's going to be a big theme for us this season."
Dowhaniuk wiped a kill off the block in the first set at 6-5 UBC before
Coltyn Liu came up with a big block for a two-point edge at 7-5. A net violation by UBC kept it a two-point game 11-9 T-Birds, but Neaves responded with a kill and Liu served up an ace to force a UFV timeout at 13-9 'Birds. Tyson Ardell capitalized on a UBC free ball to bring the Cascades back within three as the Thunderbirds headed into the technical timeout up 16-13. Dowhaniuk dropped two aces out of the break before a
James Vincett kill gave the T-Birds a 20-13 lead to force another UFV timeout. Vincett came up with a block out of the timeout, but Nino Benne put an end to the UBC run with a kill from the left side to cut the deficit to six at 21-15. Benne crushed another kill to continue the UFV run at 21-18 and forced a T-Birds timeout. Neaves lifted the T-Birds to a set point at 24-20 and they closed out the first on a Cascades back row violation – 25-20.
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Mason Greves ace put the 'Birds up 3-0 in the second set and Liu made it 4-0 on a kill before UFV called a timeout down 7-2. Neaves served an ace for a six-point advantage that stood after a net violation by the Cascades at 12-6. Caleb Kastelein cracked a kill from the right side to bring the visitors back within five, but Neaves gave the T-Birds a seven-point lead at 16-9 heading into the technical timeout. Back-to-back aces from Neaves put the home team up 19-10 and a Dowhaniuk ace made it 23-11 'Birds before a UFV serving error closed out the set for the T-Birds – 25-12.
Ryan Adams got the Cascades on the board in the third set with a kill at 4-1 UBC, and Kastelein kept UFV within four on a kill off the block at 10-6 'Birds – but the home team extended their lead at 16-8 at the technical timeout. Vincett put the T-Birds up 11 with a monster block and Liu put up a block of his own that made it 23-11 before a UFV serving error gave the 'Birds a match point they converted for the victory at 25-12.
"I know UFV is a proud team that's going to come out swinging tomorrow," said Hawkins. "We need to understand that tomorrow night set one starts zero-zero. It doesn't matter what we did tonight."
Tickets are still available for the rematch on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. (PST) inside War Memorial Gym, as live streaming is available on
Canada West TV.
