Cole Tweed, Heat Sports Information

KELOWNA, B.C. – The UBC Okanagan Heat men's volleyball team faced the Winnipeg Wesmen in the second game of the series, and their second-to-last game at home. Winnipeg won all three sets, but not without an intense battle from the Heat. The first half of the first set was close, but the Wesmen took the lead in the back half and took the set.

The second set was a different story, as the Heat were able to put down more points on the board, allowing them to lead for the majority of the set. Thanks to big hits and exceptional play by Jon Russo that caused the Winnipeg coach to call his time outs, the Heat almost pulled off the set win. The third set fell towards the Wesmen more easily as they managed an early lead that led to their win.

The loss has the Heat tumble to 5-15 and need to win all four remaining matches to even hope to move onto a post season berth, the Wesmen have now own three straight and at 13-7 are only one match behind Brandon for fourth place and a first round hosting scenario.

First Set: (25-16)

The Heat were trailing by an average of two points for the majority of the first set, but the Wesmen managed to pull ahead when the Heat were having difficulties in their serving and blocking. It was at 12-10 when the Wesmen pulled away, as they would then go on a nine-point streak before the Heat could get another point. The Heat would begin out-scoring the Wesmen, but it was too late as the Wesmen only needed three more to win the set.

Second Set: (25-20)

The second set was highly competitive, as both teams battled until the last few points, where the Wesmen were able to pull ahead to get the set win. Thanks to a powerful service ace by Jon Russo, the Heat were set on a track to keep up with the Wesmen. It was an evenly matched fight with the Heat leading up until 16-16. However, after this point the Wesmen showed the Heat some strong hitting, allowing them to take the set after a strong back half.

Third Set: (25-16)

Ethan Duncan of the Wesmen led his team into an early lead through six consecutive serves, a lead that would continue to the end of the game. The Heat started on a comeback that brought them within five points of the Wesmen, but it would not be enough to cover the lost ground. The Wesmen went on to finish the series with the win.

Key Performers:

UBC Okanagan:

• Max Heppell led the Heat with 10 total points, nine kills, and a hitting percentage of .261.
• Lars Bornemann had seven points, seven kills, and a percentage of .062. Devon Cote scored 7.5 and had seven kills.

Winnipeg:

• Garrett Jones scored the highest on his team with a total of 14 points, 10 kills, and a hitting percentage of .600. Following closely was Adrian Dyck with a total of 13 points, 12 kills, and a percentage of .250.

By the Numbers:

• The UBCO Heat had the most attacks of the night with 100 compared to Winnipeg's 89. Winnipeg led in kills (38-30), digs (43-31), and blocks (10-7).

Next Up:

• The UBC Okanagan Heat will play against the Thompson Rivers University (9-11) on Thursday night in theri final match in Kelowna. First serve is scheduled for 8 p.m. PST in the UBC Okanagan gym.

• The University of Winnipeg Wesmen will put their three match winning streak on the line at home this Friday Saturday when they host the University of Alberta (17-3).