KELOWNA, B.C. — The U SPORTS No. 7-ranked UBCO Heat men's volleyball team (9-1) swept the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (2-8) in straight sets, 25-21, 25-20, 25-19, at the UBCO Gymnasium on Saturday to sweep their weekend doubleheader. The match highlighted a robust offensive performance from the home team, boasting a .267 attack percentage throughout the three sets.
Zach van Geel set the tone with 23 assists and added nine digs, playing a crucial role in the team's defensive efforts.
Seba Manuel recorded 11 kills on 26 swings, finishing with 12 points to lead the team in scoring.
Thys Weststrate contributed five kills and was effective at the net with three total blocks.
Lucas Woelders posted seven kills on 13 attempts, achieving a .385 hitting percentage, while also adding two service aces.
For TRU, Walker Sodaro led the playmaking efforts with 26 assists, contributing to the team's offensive momentum. Alex Howard showed a strong presence with nine kills, tying with Daniel Hitchens, who also contributed significantly with three block assists.
The match began with UBCO establishing an early lead against the WolfPack. Van Geel played a pivotal role, providing multiple assists, including key setups for kills by Weststrate and Woelders. Despite a few setbacks, the Heat maintained their momentum, with Manuel delivering a series of crucial kills, pushing their advantage further. TRU attempted a late rally, narrowing the scoreline, but a service error by the visitors ultimately sealed the set. UBCO finished the first set with a 25-21 lead.
UBCO capitalized on a series of attack errors by the WolfPack early in the second set, quickly building a 5-1 lead. The home team continued to extend their advantage with effective kills from Manuel and Woelders, pushing the score to 10-2. Despite a brief rally from the WolfPack narrowing the margin, UBCO maintained their composure, with critical points from
Xander van Driel and Manuel solidifying their lead. The set concluded with a decisive service error from TRU, giving UBCO a 25-20 victory in the set.
The Heat seized momentum in the third set, capitalizing on a series of errors by the WolfPack. Significant contributions included a kill by van Driel, assisted by
James Tse, and a pivotal block by
Stephen Searcy that led to an attack error by Wagner. Despite a brief rally by TRU, UBCO maintained their lead with strong performances from van Geel and Manuel, who combined for crucial kills late in the set. The set concluded with a service error by Howard from TRU, securing a 25-19 victory for UBCO, ending the match.
Looking ahead, the Heat will face off against the Brandon Bobcats (3-5) on Friday, Nov. 28 at 5:45 p.m. in Brandon, Man. The weekend doubleheader against Brandon will be the final series of the first term for the Heat and fans can catch the action live on
CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.
Game Notes:
- the win extends the Heat's winning streak to six matches
- with their ninth win of the season, the Heat match their total from a season ago, the second-best mark in program history
- the Heat are one win shy from matching the program's high mark of 10 since joining Canada West, set in 2021-22
- UBCO earned their second win of the season in the men's Presidents' Cup competition as they now sit with a 2-3-0 record against TRU. Basketball will determine this year's winner in early January.
