VANCOUVER - The No. 7-ranked UBC Thunderbirds took the first game of their series against the No. 10-ranked Calgary Dinos on Saturday, as they flashed not only their skill level, but also their resiliency in a 3-1 win over their Alberta counterparts.
Claiming the decision by set scores of 25-23, 25-16, 19-25, and 25-22, UBC improves to 5-0 on the season. Calgary falls to 4-3.
Veteran outside-hitter Danielle Brisebois (Bolton, Ont.) was an absolute force for the 'Birds, racking up a monstrous 19 kills. Brisebois' second-year counterpart Laura MacTaggart (Lacombe, Alta.) also had a dominant performance, adding 16 kills of her own. For Calgary, veteran outside hitter Beth Vinnell racked up 15 kills of her own, while Laura McManes and Ali Woolley each notched 10 kills and seven digs apiece. Down 16-12 in the fourth set of the afternoon, UBC absolutely tore back, ripping seven straight points in what turned out to be the defining moment of the contest. A couple of brilliant kills from Brisebois highlighted the stretch, and the 'Birds rode that momentum all the way to a 25-22 win to take the match.
The two sides seemed equally matched in the first set, as neither side create more than two points of separation for the majority of the set. Then, with the score equal at 19-19, the host Thunderbirds finally created some separation, ripping off a 4-1 run to get a shot at set point. Calgary won the next three points, bringing the score to 24-23, when Alissa Coulter (Calgary) stepped and delivered a dagger for the 'Birds, smoking a kill down the left line to
long.
"At time, it was a bit of a grind – those periods of time where we were in control didn't last long enough," said Reimer. "With that said, I'm pretty proud of them, for the battle they get UBC out to a 1-0 set lead.
MacTaggart was an absolute terror on the outside, knocking down eight kills on just 13 attempts in the opening set. Coulter, too, was excellent. Including her set-clincher, the fifth-year outside hitter racked up five kills in the opening frame.
The second set saw the 'Birds establish an quick 7-2 lead, and it's one that they wouldn't relinquish for the entirety of the frame. On the strength of a brilliant frame from Brisebois, who notched eight kills, the 'Birds cruised to a 25-16 set win.
The Dinos came into the third set with a vengeance, jumping out to a 6-3 lead early. UBC quickly recovered, knotting the game just minutes later at 7-7. The two sides battled to an 10-10 score, before the Dinos began to take over yet again. Behind a couple of UBC attack errors, coupled with a kill apiece from Vinnell and McManes, the Calgary side surged to a 19-12 advantage. The 'Birds never managed to fully recover from the deficit, and Calgary ended up taking the set 25-19
After the match, UBC head coach Doug Reimer noted that that run in the fourth set showed him something that not only gave them the win, but should help the squad all season showed in that fourth set, coming back and pushing ahead, that's the most important thing I took away from today. It gave us the win, sure, but each of those experiences will also serve us going forward, reinforcing how much these girls believe in themselves."
The 'Birds will look to complete the sweep tomorrow, as the two sides are set to square off again at 1 p.m. (PT). Again, the match will take place at War Memorial Gym.
