CALGARY – The Thunderbirds (15-1) got it down on both ends in a Saturday night sweep (25-11, 25-23, 25-22), hitting .350 as a team while holding the Dinos (6-10) to a .000 hitting percentage themselves, with just 25 kills and 25 service errors.
While the 'Birds were credited with just four team blocks in the match, they did rack up 32 digs as they did a good job keeping rallies alive.
Logan Greves led the way in that category with seven, while
Reeve Gingera and
Dawson Pratt led the team in kills with 12 each.
Mason Greves delivered assists on 35 of his team's 40 kills, orchestrating an efficient UBC attack that saw all but one player hit .300 or better.
The opening set had the greatest disparity on the scoreboard, as the Thunderbirds scored the first five points and never looked back from there. Pratt racked up six kills in the first, as UBC totalled 16 as a unit. The home team, meanwhile, was limited to just four kills and a -.179 hitting percentage.
The Dinos came roaring back in the second, taking a page out of the T-Birds' book by starting the frame on a 5-0 run. Down by as many as seven points at one stage, the Thunderbirds had their work cut out for them if they wanted to go up 2-0 in set count.
As the set worked its way past the halfway mark, the 'Birds were able to grind their way back into things.
Alex Borowski and
Kieran Robinson-Dunning teamed up on a block to tie the score at 19, part of a 12-3 run that concluded with a Pratt kill that put UBC up 24-20. While the Dinos staved off three straight set points, they fell just short with a service error to make it 25-23.
The third was much more even in the early stages, with the two teams trading points before UBC opened up a lead as the set went along. Again though, the Dinos refused to quit, and fought hard to try and force a fourth set.
The T-Birds had enough in the tank to close things out, however, with
Danny Cravioto-Ross landing the final blow as the blue and gold won their ninth match in a row.
The 'Birds now have a week off before they return to action on February 6 and 7 against the UFV Cascades in Abbotsford.
