SASKATOON, Sask. - The UBC Okanagan Heat men's volleyball team battled hard against the U SPORTS No. 8-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies on Saturday but came up short in four sets, 27-25, 13-25, 16-25, 27-29.

Setter Zach van Geel was a key playmaker for the Heat, leading with 39 assists over four sets as he moved to within five assists of setting a new personal single-season best mark. Lucas Woelders stood out in the attack category with 13 kills and a hitting percentage of .333, contributing 14.5 points overall. Woelders' performance marked the third time in five matches that he has achieved 10-plus kills. Thys Weststrate was notable for his defensive performance, tallying six blocks, including two solo blocks and four assisted blocks. Weststrate continues to lead the Canada West conference in blocks per set at 1.13. 

The Huskies featured several standout performers. Emmett Graham led the team in points with 20.5, including 18 kills. Isaiah Mamer was effective in both attack and defence, recording 13 kills with a hitting percentage of .333 and leading the team with 11 digs.

In the first set, UBCO and the Huskies exchanged points and runs throughout the frame. A 6-1 run in the middle of the set, highlighted by two kills from Seba Manuel, gave UBCO the lead but Saskatchewan battled back. Trailing 22-23 late in the set, the Heat pulled ahead after a timeout, and clinched the set 27-25 with decisive kills by Sam Jablonski and Thys Weststrate.

The second set was all Saskatchewan as they used a big run early in the set to pull ahead 10-4. Saskatchewan maintained momentum with a scoring streak led by Emmett Graham and Lucas Musschoot, increasing their lead to 21-10. Despite the Heat's efforts, including kills by Ashton South and Sam Jablonski, Saskatchewan's consistent performance, highlighted by Jacob Baird's multiple kills, secured them the set win.

The third set began with a close back-and-forth exchange between UBCO and the Huskies, with both teams capitalizing on attack errors and service mistakes. The Heat took a brief lead at 5-3 after two consecutive attack errors by Emmett Graham were blocked by Zach van Geel and Thys Weststrate. However, the Huskies responded with a strong offensive push, highlighted by a 5-point streak from 13-10 to 18-10, largely due to kills from Jefferson Morrow and Jacob Baird, both assisted by Noah Opseth. Despite the Heat's efforts, including a timeout at 19-14, the Huskies maintained their momentum, eventually closing the set at 25-16 with consistent kills from their attackers.

The fourth set of the match between UBCO and the Huskies was highly competitive, with several scoring exchanges. The Huskies started with an early lead, but the Heat quickly responded, leveling the score at 3-3 after a service error by Noah Opseth. The teams traded points throughout the set, with UBCO grabbing the lead 21-18 thanks to kills from Lucas Woelders and Zach van Geel, as well as a series of attack errors by Emmett Graham. Despite the Heat's efforts to push it to five sets, Isaiah Mamer and Emmett Graham played pivotal roles in securing a narrow 29-27 victory for the Huskies.

With the loss, the Heat drop back to .500 as their record sits at 9-9 sitting two wins ahead of Calgary, Manitoba and Brandon for sixth place in the conference. As for the Huskies, they improve to 13-5, good for second overall.

The Heat will enjoy a bye weekend as they prepare to face the first-place Winnipeg Wesmen (14-2) in two weeks' time in Winnipeg to close out their regular season. The first game of the weekend doubleheader is set for Friday, February 14 at 5:45 p.m. Pacific.