KELOWNA, B.C. - The UBC Okanagan Heat women's volleyball team cooked up the right recipe for an upset win, taking down the U SPORTS No. 7 ranked Alberta Pandas in five sets (25-20, 25-14, 12-25, 21-25, 15-13) on Friday night at the UBCO Gymnasium.
Strong individual outings and well-timed runs saw the Heat take the match's first two sets. However, the Pandas would rally to force and fifth set and with the Heat down 12-9 in the final set, they used a 6-1 scoring run to take the victory, pushing past their nationally-ranked opponent.
UBCO's Hellen Lacava, a senior from Mandaguari, Brazil, played a major role in her team's toppling of the powerhouse Pandas, recording a timely block and two kills in the Heat's decisive run in the final set.
Alberta would find their form in the third and fourth set led by senior-rookie duo of Lauryn Tremblay (St. Alberta, Alta.) and Abby Guezen (Sherwood Park, Alta.). The pair both set season-highs in kills as Tremblay knocked down a game-high 17, while Guezen chipped in 16 of her own.
Amaya Perry, an outside hitter from Chin, Alta., continued her torrent pace this season, recording 10+ kills for the sixth time in nine games with 13 off 43 attacks. Perry leads the Heat in kills, aces and blocks so far this year.
Also aiding UBCO's significant win were
Natalie Funk (Strathmore, Alta) with her game-high seven total blocks and
Olivia Tymkiw (Vernon, B.C.), who chalked up six kills and three aces.
TOP PERFORMERS
Hellen Lacava - UBCO Heat
The fifth-year hitter set season highs in kills (13), digs (9) and blocks (5), hitting an effective .367 percent. Also laying down a pair of aces, Lacava played her way to a 17.5-point performance.
Justine Kolody - Alberta Pandas
Her 48 assists are the most by the third-year setter this season. In addition, she helped her team with three kills, an ace and a block.
WHERE THEY SIT
UBCO's win sees them pull above .500, improving to 5-4 as they move into a tie for seventh in the Canada West conference. Meanwhile, the Pandas slip to 7-2 this season, tied for third in the conference.
UP NEXT
The two schools face each other again Saturday evening at 6 p.m. from the UBCO Gymnasium. Tickets are available at the door.
