BRANDON, Man. — The U SPORTS No. 6-ranked UBCO Heat men's volleyball team (10-1) triumphed over the Brandon Bobcats (3-6) with a 3-1 victory on Thursday night, sealing the win with set scores of 25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 25-19. 

UBCO's efficient attacking was a standout, boasting a .322 hitting percentage throughout the match.

Seba Manuel spearheaded the team with 20 kills, achieving an outstanding .529 hitting percentage, and added eight digs and an ace over four sets. Zach van Geel orchestrated the offence with 45 assists, complemented by three digs and two block assists. Thys Weststrate made a significant impact from the service line with four aces, while also contributing nine digs and nine kills. Xander van Driel delivered 19 kills and four digs, wrapping up with 20.5 points.

Kale Fisher led the offence for the Brandon Bobcats with 41 assists, adding a service ace and three block assists over four sets. Liam Pauls led the scoring with 18 points, tallying 14 kills and three service aces with a .323 hitting percentage.

UBCO overcame a sluggish start to clinch the first set 25-22 against the Bobcats. Despite trailing 18-11, UBCO mounted a decisive comeback, spurred by Manuel's five crucial kills during a 9-0 run to close the set. The Bobcats initially leveraged service aces by Pauls and Matthew Siebenga, but UBCO's resilience, highlighted by strong blocking from Stephen Searcy and van Geel, shifted the momentum.

UBCO edged out the second set with a 25-23 win over Brandon, fuelled by clutch performances from van Driel and Manuel. The visitors capitalized on the Bobcats' five service errors, turning the tide with two service aces and key blocks by van Driel and Thys Weststrate. Despite a late push from Brandon, UBCO maintained momentum, closing the set with a kill from Manuel.

In the third set, UBCO jumped to an early 6-2 lead, aided by a service ace from Weststrate. However, the Bobcats responded with a strong stretch, highlighted by consecutive kills from Tom Friesen and a service ace by Aiden Sinoski, leading to a 25-19 set win. Despite van Driel's four kills, UBCO couldn't overcome Brandon's efficient offence led by Friesen's multiple kills.

UBCO secured a decisive 25-19 fourth-set victory over Brandon, highlighted by a strong start that included a 7-3 advantage driven by Weststrate's service ace and a block by van Driel. Manuel spearheaded the offensive effort with multiple key kills, while van Geel contributed with several assists, helping UBCO maintain momentum despite Brandon's attempts to close the gap. The set featured effective blocking and capitalizing on Brandon's errors, ultimately sealing the win and a strong finish.

In their next game, UBCO will face the Brandon Bobcats on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 4:45 p.m. in Brandon. Fans can catch the game live on CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.

Game Notes:
- Xander van Driel recorded a career-high total of 19 kills
- Seba Manuel set a season-high with 20 kills in the game
- UBCO tied their team record for most wins since joining Canada West with their 10th of the season
- the Heat extended their win streak to seven matches