KELOWNA, B.C. — The UBCO Heat women's volleyball team (2-3) swept the MacEwan Griffins (1-4) in straight sets on Saturday at UBCO Gymnasium, winning 25-21, 25-22, 25-17. The home team recorded 12 total blocks, effectively stifling the visiting offence, in front of a School Day game crowd of over 900.
Faith Solecki led the team with 12 kills on 27 attempts, amassing 15.5 points and contributing defensively with five digs and four total blocks.
Kirsten Hill posted a .500 hitting percentage with eight kills and added 14 digs, highlighting her dual contribution on both offence and defence.
Natalie Funk delivered a strong performance at the net with eight total blocks, complemented by eight kills and 11 digs.
Kylan Finseth orchestrated the offense with 21 assists and added three digs to her overall performance.
Kara Frith led the Griffins with 11 kills and added 10 digs along with with two block assists and one service ace.
The first set commenced with UBCO taking an early lead, capitalizing on MacEwan's errors, including blocks by
Kylan Finseth and
Natalie Funk. Despite a comeback attempt by the Griffins, which saw them take a narrow lead, a strategic timeout by UBCO helped stabilize their play. The home team regained momentum with key plays from
Faith Solecki and
Kirsten Hill, eventually pulling ahead. UBCO's blocking proved decisive, as multiple blocks by Funk and Solecki helped secure the set, ending with a 25-21 advantage for the home team.
In the second set, the Heat overcame an early deficit to secure a comeback victory, fueled by a strong performance from Solecki, who contributed multiple key kills, including tying the game at 15-15. A crucial service ace by
Hayden Hagel pushed the home team ahead at 18-17, and a defensive block by
Madison Gardner and Solecki extended their lead to 20-17. Despite a late push by MacEwan,
Korey Jenkins delivered a pivotal kill to regain the lead at 23-22, and Hill sealed the set with a final kill, giving the home team a 25-22 win.
UBCO capitalized on a series of errors by MacEwan midway through the third set, as Solecki's service ace and subsequent points put them ahead. A pivotal timeout taken by the Heat at 12-10 helped refocus the team, leading to a strong run where Funk and Hill contributed crucial kills. With the score tied at 17, UBCO surged ahead, closing the set and the match with a 25-17 victory.
Looking ahead, the Heat and Griffins will square off once again on Saturday, November 8 at 2:30 p.m. to wrap up the weekend doubleheader. The match will take place at UBCO Gymnasium and tickets for the game can be purchased by visiting GoHeat.ca/Tickets.
The game will also be available on CBCSports.ca or the CBC Gem app, as well as CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.
Game Notes:
- Solecki's 12 kills were a new career-high with the Heat
- the Heat extended their win streak against the Griffins to three games
