EDMONTON - The UBC Okanagan Heat women's volleyball team punched their ticket to the playoffs with a four set win over the MacEwan Griffins on Friday night, taking the match by scores of 29-27, 24-26, 25-23, 25-18.
Led by
Amaya Perry (Chin, Alta.) and
Natalie Funk (Strathmore, Alta.), UBCO battled their way to the post-season in a tightly contested outing. Perry would lead her squad with 15 kills, while Funk threw down 10 of her own, also tallying four blocks.
The Griffins got a strong night from star hitter Mariah Bereziuk, a product of Boyle, Alta., who ranks second in the conference in kills per set this season. Bereziuk upped her season total to 304 kills with a team-high 14 and totaled 20-plus points for the fifth time this year.
However, the Heat were able to hold Bereziuk to a .042 hitting percentage, forcing 12 errors out of MacEwan's reigning team MVP. A testament to UBCO's defensive effort, the visitors were able to keep MacEwan to a team .148 percent conversion rate, 71 points lower than their season average.Â
The schools exchanged the first two sets, both of which were extended past 25 points. Down 22-20 in the third, Perry and Funk would combine for four kills as the Heat captured the set and carried the momentum through the decisive fourth frame.
UBCO's
Abigail Dueck (Winnipeg) recorded 34 assists while MacEwan's Payton Shimonda (Edmonton) rounded out the setters with 35 of her own.
TOP PERFORMERS
Amaya Perry - UBCO Heat
Perry continued her impressive month with a game-high 15 kills and 15 digs. Through five games in February, the fourth-year has chalked up 10-plus kills four times and 10-plus digs in all five matches. With four aces, Perry jumped three spots up the Canada West career list into a tie for 12th all-time with 136 career serving aces.
Alyshia Bryks - MacEwan Griffins
Byrks (Andrew, Alta.) was her team's most efficient attack option on Friday with 11 kills on 32 attacks. Hitting .250, the third year opposite also chipped in two aces and four digs.
WHERE THEY SIT
The win ensures the Heat head to the playoffs for the ninth time in program history, now sitting with a record of 10-13. The Griffins, now on a five-game skid, fall to 11-12. Tomorrow's match sees the battle for sixth in the conference continue as with a win in four sets or less, UBCO can jump ahead of MacEwan, who sit just two points ahead. The win also guarantees the Heat will place ahead of both the Calgary Dinos (9-14) and Thompson Rivers WolfPack (9-14). The Winnipeg Wesmen (9-14) sit three points back of UBCO with one game remaining in the Canada West regular season.
UP NEXT
The schools close out the regular season tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. (PT) with playoff implications top of mind. Catch the action on CanadaWest.tv.
