SASKATOON, Sask. - The UBC Okanagan Heat men's volleyball team fell to Saskatchewan in straight sets, 25-16, 25-18, 25-19, on Friday in Saskatoon.
Thys Weststrate stood out for the Heat with a notable .357 hitting percentage, contributing seven kills and 10 total points over three games.
Zach van Geel was efficient in limited action as he battled a flu bug, registering a .500 hitting percentage with two kills and adding 13 assists.
Rory O'Brien came on in relief of van Geel and finished with 11 assists.
Ashton South woul add five kills and one block assist, totaling 5.5 points.
The Huskies, currently ranked 8th in U SPORTS, featured several standout players contributing to their performance this season. Lucas Musschoot was effective in attack with eight kills and a hitting percentage of .636, leading the team in scoring with ten points over three games. Emmett Graham was another key player, recording eight kills and a .538 hitting percentage while adding six digs to his defensive efforts.
In the first set, Saskatchewan took an early lead with a 3-0 run, featuring kills by Emmett Graham and Lucas Musschoot. UBCO called a timeout at 11-5 and the Heat managed to close the gap slightly after the break with a kill from
Thys Weststrate and a service ace by
Peter Labun. However, Saskatchewan maintained control, with Isaiah Mamer and Jefferson Morrow contributing critical points, ultimately securing the set with a 25-16 victory.
The second set of the game between the Heat and Saskatchewan started with Saskatchewan gaining an early 2-0 lead, thanks to a Lucas Musschoot kill. The Heat managed to narrow the gap to 5-3 but Saskatchewan then went on a significant scoring streak, extending their lead to 12-5, highlighted by a service ace from Jacob Baird and multiple kills by Lucas Musschoot. The Heat attempted a comeback late in the set, narrowing the score to 23-17 with contributions from
Ashton South and
Sam Jablonski, but ultimately fell short as Saskatchewan secured the set with a 25-18 victory.
In the third set, Saskatchewan started strong with Isaiah Mamer securing the first point with a kill. The Heat's
Thys Weststrate responded quickly with two successful kills early on, balancing the score. Despite the efforts of
Rory O'Brien, who assisted on several Heat kills, Saskatchewan capitalized on late errors from the Heat to eventually close the set at 25-19, helped by strong performances from Jefferson Morrow and Emmett Graham.
The loss drops the Heat to 9-8 in the Canada West standings while the Huskies improve to 12-5.
The two teams will wrap up their weekend doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, February 1, when they rematch at 1 p.m. Pacific. Fans can catch the action live on CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.
