VANCOUVER – While the UBC Okanagan Heat (15-5) did their best to mount an impressive comeback, the UBC Thunderbirds (19-1) were able to close out the regular season with another strong performance and a four-set win (25-16, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22).
On a night when he was one of the four UBC graduating seniors honoured in their final career regular season home match,
Mason Greves reached a fantastic personal milestone as he recorded his 3,818th career Canada West assist, passing Luke Herr to move into second all-time in the conference's history.
When it comes to the other graduating T-Birds,
Reeve Gingera compiled 15 kills, three digs and four aces,
Kieran Robinson-Dunning had four kills, three digs and a block, and
Logan Greves grabbed 10 digs.
"We're on a mission – every day we're working hard and we're really intentional with the work that needs to be done," said UBC head coach
Mike Hawkins. "I'm glad that we were able to celebrate Senior Night with a big win. Our seniors did a heck of a job, playing great and doing the things they always do.
"I'm proud of Mason, that's an incredible accomplishment…Reeve had a great game, Kieran so stable as always, and Logan is just an absolute digs machine. I'm proud of this group and ready for what's next."
Logan Greves also made sure his name is further enshrined in the Canada West record books, with the 23 digs he recorded this weekend (his most for a two-match stretch this season) moving him into 18th all-time for career digs (695).
Amongst the non-seniors,
Alex Borowski had a phenomenal night with a career-best 20 kills on a .600 hitting percentage, to go with five digs and three blocks.
Seba Manuel and Xander van Driel each recorded 12 kills for the Heat, with Manuel also serving four aces. First-year setter Dominic Sodaro dished out 32 assists to go with four kills in his first career start.
The Heat came out firing with a 5-2 lead to begin the first set, but the T-Birds answered right back with a 10-1 run which included a series of impressive blocks from
Alex Emery. A pair of Gingera aces provided further highlights, as the 'Birds dominated the frame with 14 kills and just two attack errors.
The second was similar, as UBC scored the first five points and never relinquished the lead from there. The duo of Borowski and Gingera proved extremely difficult to try and contain, and the T-Birds made it five straight set wins on the weekend overall when they took it 25-19.
The third was a very different story, as the Heat were determined to fight their way back into things. After trading points in the early stages, the visitors gradually climbed out in front. A series of UBC errors pushed the lead out to as many as six at one stage, and a Lucas Woelders block followed by a pair of van Driel kills late on helped extend the match to four sets.
The Heat again jumped out to the early lead in the fourth, but two more aces from Gingera helped UBC reclaim the advantage. The two sides went back-and-forth until the final stages, when
Marcus Morgan finally ended the night with a kill to make it 25-22.
Now set to enter the postseason as the top overall seed, the T-Birds know that if they win their quarterfinal series, they will have homecourt advantage for the Canada West Final Four.
"It's massive," remarked Hawkins on that fact. "We're a really strong team at home, we feel comfortable in the confines of War Memorial Gym…for us, being able to be in this barn and play in front of friends and family and great supporters means everything to us. And I think it's also a testament of the work that we've done to get here."
After a bye through the play-in round next weekend, the Thunderbirds will be back in action in their best-of-three Canada West Quarterfinal series beginning on Thursday, February 26.
