KELOWNA, B.C - On the strength of a career day from second-year middle Natalie Funk, the UBC Okanagan Heat women's volleyball team gave their graduating seniors a memorable sendoff as they came back from a two-sets-to-none deficit to defeat the MacEwan Griffins in five sets on Saturday at The Furnace.
Despite dropping the first two sets by identical 21-25 scorelines to the Griffins, the Heat jumped at the opportunity to counter in the third set finding a run of unanswered points. A key four-point run midway, highlighted by a pair of Sydney Grills' (Vancouver) aces, gave UBCO an eight point lead and momentum as they easily claimed the third set 25-14.
Funk, a native of Strathmore, Alta., ran the fourth set early with an impressive run of serving. The Heat picked up seven consecutive points, highlighted by a run of five consecutive aces from Funk, along with a kill, to build a 10-point cushion. From there, the Griffins had no answer as UBCO cruised to the fourth set victory 25-10 to send the match the distance between the two schools for the second straight day.
In the final frame, Jade Bussard of Red Deer, Alta., and Grills helped put the match away with a number of impressive swings to ensure the Heat's six graduating seniors, Bussard, Grills, Hali Drezet of Prince George, B.C., Rayn Perry of Chin, Alta., Stephanie Temme of Kelowna, B.C., and Kendall Stephan of Springwater, Ont., ended their home careers victorious.
TOP PERFORMERS
Natalie Funk - UBCO
Funk was impressive across the board for the Heat in the contest as she recorded a career-high 17.5 points thanks to seven kills, eight blocks, six aces and seven digs.
Mariah Bereziuk - MacEwan
The second-year outside hitter and product of Boyle, Alta., was a dominant attacker for the Griffins, putting down a total of 18 kills, two aces, four blocks and six digs for a total of 22 points.
WHERE THEY SIT
The Heat's victory, combined with Calgary's win over Saskatchewan, leaves the Heat all alone in eighth place in Canada West with an even 11-11 record. UBCO sits one game behind the Dinos (12-10) for seventh in the conference and one game up on the Huskies (10-12) and Alberta Pandas (10-12) with each team having two games remaining in their schedule.
As for the Griffins, they fall to 4-18 on the season.
UP NEXT
UBCO will hit the road for their final weekend of action as they head to Edmonton for a massive showdown with the aforementioned Pandas. The first match of the weekend gets underway on Friday, February 17 at 5 p.m. Pacific and the game can be seen live on
Canada West TV.
