T-Birds’ year-long win streak snapped by Bisons

VANCOUVER – For the first time in more than a calendar year, the UBC Thunderbirds (12-1) have lost a regular season game. The T-Birds fell 3-1 (16-25, 18-25, 25-21, 21-25) to the rival Manitoba Bisons (11-4) in front of a raucous crowd at War Memorial Gym on Friday evening.

The loss ends the ‘Birds season-long win streak at 12 games and represents the first regular season loss for the blue and gold in more than a calendar year. Their last regular season defeat was also against the Bisons on January 20, 2024. Manitoba is the only visiting team to have won at War Memorial gym, in the regular season or playoffs, in nearly two full years.

The Bisons pulled away late in the first frame to set the tone for the evening, following that up with a late run to take set number two as well. The T-Birds looked like a different team in the third frame, with a mid-match lineup change boosting the ‘Birds energy and leading to a win. The fourth was fantastically played on both sides, but Manitoba edged out UBC late to put the home side’s rally to bed.
 

Manitoba jumped out to an early advantage to start the match, but UBC clawed back to make it 8-8 without using a timeout. The T-Birds could never quite take the lead, but kept it close. With the Bisons up 16-15, the reigning Canada West and U SPORTS Player of the Year Raya Surinx was at the service line. Her blistering serve helped keep the ‘Birds on their back foot, leading the Bisons on a four-point run, which prompted the T-Birds to take a timeout. Manitoba took two hard-fought points on long rallies out of the break, then pulled away to win the first set 25-16.

The second set started with a more balanced back and forth, but Manitoba inched ahead as UBC made three straight service errors, not allowing the home side to build any momentum. The Bisons’ blockers got to work from there, with setter Katreena Bentley and middle Eve Catojo combining on a pair of blocks, sandwiched by a vicious Andi Almonte kill, to push the lead to 20-14. Trinity Solecki ripped off back-to-back aces soon after to pull the T-Birds back to 20-17, forcing a Bisons timeout. However, Manitoba came roaring out of the break and took five of the next six points to win the set 25-18, finished by another Surinx kill.

For the third straight set the teams found themselves neck in neck as they approached double digits, again knotted 9-9 with neither side ever holding more than a one-point lead. The T-Birds had new life to begin the frame and were largely the aggressors, but the Bisons hung around by pulling off a number of improbable, diving digs to prevent what appeared to be certain points. Consecutive monsters kills by Surinx briefly quieted the War Gym crowd, but Canada West All-Star Lucy Borowski brought the fans back to their feet with an explosive kill of her own to tie things up at 11-11.

UBC head coach Doug Reimer then brought in backup setter Mackenzie Campbell for veteran starting setter Issy Robertshaw. At first the move didn’t appear to pay off, as UBC gradually fell behind 16-13. Then, as they always seem to do, the T-Birds rallied, with Daphne Demiryol and Jocelyn Lenarcic entering the game and breathing new life into the lineup. A kill and then block by Grewal saw UBC tie the set at 17-17.

With the T-Birds down 19-20, Borowski took over. She picked up a kill, blocked the hyper-dangerous Surinx, then, after a Kylee Glanville ace, Borowski hammered home two more kills to put UBC up 23-20 and draw a Bisons timeout. Manitoba got the first point out of the break, but an Ella Ungemach kill and Surinx attack error later, the T-Birds had pushed the match to a fourth set with a 25-21 win.
 

The fourth set initially followed the same script as the third, as there was no separation between the two great teams, trading blows until the score reached 15-15. Consecutive kills from Catojo and Almonte gave the Bisons a rare multi-point lead at 17-15 and drew the first timeout of the set from coach Reimer.

Two straight blocks out of the break knotted the set back up and re-ignited the War Gym crowd, but soon after three consecutive errors by the ‘Birds had the Bisons back up 21-18 and UBC using its final timeout.

Another kill by Catojo, followed by two in a row from Surinx, had the blue and gold facing match point. They fended off defeat twice, before a service error ended any hope of an improbable comeback.

Surinx led all hitters with 19 kills, also leading her team with 13 digs and a pair of aces. Bentley had a match-best 39 assists, in addition to a remarkable four blocks from the setter position.

Borowski was the top weapon for the T-Birds, at least doubling all of her teammates by putting up 16 kills and tying Emelie Silovs with four aces for the best mark in the match. Silovs had six blocks to top that category for either side, while Olivia Furlan led UBC with 12 digs.

The two teams will be right back at it on Saturday afternoon, with the rematch slated for a 4:00 p.m. (PT) start at War Memorial Gym. Tickets may still be available here. Stream all the action, live or on demand, on Canada West TV.