KELOWNA, B.C. — The UBCO Heat women's volleyball team (3-6) fell to the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (7-2) in straight sets on Friday night at UBCO Gymnasium, with scores of 18-25, 19-25, and 17-25.
Madison Gardner recorded five kills with a .300 hitting percentage, adding up to eight points to lead UBCO.
Kylan Finseth contributed 20 assists and seven digs while also participating in two blocks.
Marija Josipovic tallied five kills and one service ace, ending with 6.5 points.
Kirsten Hill added six kills and two digs, rounding out her stats with a total of six points.
Libby Meldrum led Thompson Rivers, contributing 26 assists, five total blocks, and seven digs. Faith Christensen matched her effort in blocking with five total blocks and added three service aces to her stats.
UBCO started strong with a 5-1 advantage, capitalizing on attack errors by TRU and effective blocking from
Natalie Funk and Josipovic. However, the WolfPack surged back with a dominant stretch, fueled by Keira Grant's kills and two service aces from Madison Maichin, overturning the early deficit. Despite several key kills from Hill, the Heat could not regain momentum, ultimately falling 25-18 in the first set.
The WolfPack capitalized on a series of errors to take the second set 25-19 against UBCO. The Heat started strong with a 2-0 lead, benefiting from an early service ace by Gardner, but multiple attack errors shifted momentum to the visiting side. Meldrum facilitated key plays, including a crucial service ace at 8-9, helping them control the set despite a late 3-point rally by UBCO to tie the score at 17-17.
TRU capitalized on a series of Heat errors to secure a 25-17 win in the third set. A crucial run saw the WolfPack convert multiple service aces from Christensen and capitalize on attack errors to widen their lead. Despite a late effort from Josipovic, who recorded multiple kills, the home team was unable to close the gap.
Looking ahead, the Heat will host the WolfPack once again on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the UBCO Gymnasium. Tickets for the game can be purchased by visiting
GoHeat.ca/Tickets.