KELOWNA – The No. 1 ranked UBC Thunderbirds held off a strong challenge from their sister school in Kelowna, as they defeated the UBC Okanagan Heat in five sets (25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12).
Lucy Borowski and Akash Grewal put up massive offensive numbers, with both of them recording 19 kills. Borowski also added 14 digs and two blocks while Grewal had eight digs and three aces. Trinity Solecki notched a career-high 21 digs to go along with eight kills and three blocks.
The opening set was a close one throughout as the two teams sat tied at 13-13. However, the Thunderbirds gained momentum with a 5-1 run, highlighted by kills from Lucy Borowski and some errors from the Heat. After a late timeout by UBCO, UBC sealed the set with two consecutive Grewal aces, winning 25-20.
The second set saw a closely contested battle. UBC took a 9-5 early, but the Heat’s Amaya Perry responded with three consecutive kills to narrow the gap to 9-8. In the latter half, UBCO’s Olivia Boulding and Perry contributed significantly, helping the home team pull ahead to clinch the set 25-22, with Boulding sealing the win with a service ace.
The third began with a strong start from the Thunderbirds, as Issy Robertshaw delivered two consecutive service aces to give them an early 2-0 lead. UBCO responded, eventually leveling the score at 10-10 and prompting a timeout from UBC. UBCO took control late in the set, capitalizing on a series of errors by UBC, and ultimately secured the set with a decisive 25-19 victory.
The fourth set began with the Thunderbirds taking a big early lead, scoring the first seven points led by kills from Borowski and Grewal. They maintained their momentum, extending their advantage to 14-5 after an ace from Solecki. UBCO attempted a comeback, but UBC clinched the set with a final kill by Borowski, finishing with a 25-18 victory.
Heading to a tie-breaking fifth set, UBCO scored the first seven points, forcing to early timeout calls from the T-Birds. After the second timeout, they began to close the gap, as kills from Grewal and Emelie Silovs brought the score to 10-7 in favour of the home team. The Heat would make it 11-7 but the top-ranked Thunderbirds showed their class, scoring eight of the next nine points to claim the win.
UBCO moves to 4-8 after the five-set thriller while the Thunderbirds hold onto their undefeated record, improving to 12-0. The T-Birds will return to action in two weeks time as they host the Manitoba Bisons in a weekend doubleheader on January 24th and 25th.