KELOWNA, B.C. - The UBC Okanagan Heat men's volleyball team once again gave the visiting U SPORTS No. 7-ranked UBC Thunderbirds a run for their money on Saturday at the UBCO Gymnasium but once again fell in four sets with sets scores of 15-25, 25-22, 15-25, and 22-25 in front of 150 spectators.
The Heat had several standout performances in the match. Zach Van Geel led the team in assists with 41 over four games, matching his season-best performance and showcasing his playmaking abilities.
Sam Jablonski contributed significantly in attack, setting a new career-high with 12 kills, maintaining a hitting percentage of .320, and accumulating a team-high 13 points. Jablonski's exceptional performance earned him the title of player of the game for the Heat.
Defensively,
Seba Manuel was effective, leading with 10 digs and adding 11.5 points to the team's efforts.
Thys Weststrate was a consistent presence at the net, leading the team with four total blocks, which helps him continue to lead the Canada West conference in blocks per set at 1.12, while also adding seven kills. Returning from injury,
Aaron Voth made a significant impact on the court, influencing three of the four sets played today.
UBC secured a strong start in the first set against the Heat, opening with a 2-0 lead following a kill by Dawson Pratt. A service error by Pratt shifted momentum briefly, allowing the Heat to tie the score at 3-3, but the Thunderbirds quickly regained control with a series of kills from Reeve Gingera and Jesse Umoren. UBC extended their lead to 15-10 before the Heat called a timeout, following a successful run highlighted by a kill and service ace from Kieran Robinson-Dunning. UBCO would get no closer in the frame as the Thunderbirds took the early advantage.
In the second set, the game began with an early exchange of points, reaching a 3-3 tie after a ball-handling error by the Thunderbirds' Mason Greves. UBCO's Manuel made a notable impact with multiple kills, including a key point at 15-12, contributing to a streak that gave UBCO a 17-12 lead and prompted a timeout from the Thunderbirds. UBC made a brief comeback to close the gap to 21-22, but UBCO secured the set with
Ashton South's decisive kill and a block by Van Geel and Weststrate on Gavin Moes, resulting in a 25-22 victory for UBCO.
With the two teams tied at four early in the third set, UBC pulled ahead after a series of effective plays, including a kill by Pratt and a service ace by Gingera, pushing the score to 13-9. Despite a timeout called by the home team, the Thunderbirds maintained momentum, eventually sealing the period with a 25-15 victory.
The final set saw the Thunderbirds establish an early lead with a series of successful plays, including a string of kills by Pratt and Moes, raising their score to 5-2 against UBCO. UBC extended their lead to 8-2 following a service ace, prompting a timeout from the home team. UBCO responded with a series of points, narrowing the gap to 17-14, aided by kills from
Mika Feilberg and
Sam Jablonski. Despite their efforts, the Thunderbirds maintained control, with Gingera securing the final point at 25-22, sealing the period in favor of the visiting team.
The loss sees the Heat drop back to .500 with a 6-6 record as they are now tied for sixth in the conference with the Manitoba Bisons. As for the Thunderbirds, they improve to 9-3 and maintain their grasp on their place in the conference.
UBCO will be back on home court next weekend for a pivotal showdown against the aforementioned Bisons. The first game of the weekend doubleheader will be held on Friday, January 17 which also happens to be the Heat's annual Pride Night. First serve is set for 5 p.m. and tickets to the game can be purchased at the door on game day.
