(By University of Regina Sports Information)
REGINA - One night after a furious comeback win at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport, the University of Regina's women's volleyball team was unable to follow the same script as No. 3-ranked UBC took a four-set victory over the Cougars on Saturday night.
The first three sets, though, looked awfully similar to Friday's affair. UBC took the opening two sets by 25-17 and 25-20 scores, only to see the Cougars come back with a 25-21 win in the third thanks to a huge run following the technical timeout.
But that's where the similarities to Friday's match ended.
UBC ran away with the fourth set, hitting .312 as a team with rookie Kiera Van Ryk catching fire and putting down six of the visitors' 14 kills herself. The Thunderbirds scored the first five points of the fourth and never looked back, cruising to a convincing 25-11 win to clinch the match.
Van Ryk and Olivia Furlan both finished with 14 kills for UBC, which improves to 16-4 on the season with the victory. Alessandra Gentile had 44 assists, 10 digs, and four blocks while controlling a Thunderbirds offence that hit .261 during the match, while Gabrielle Attieh and Ciara Hanly both had nine kills. Attieh also had a team-high six blocks, while libero Samantha Patko led all players with 23 digs.
Satomi Togawa was outstanding for Regina (12-10) in the loss, collecting 30 assists and becoming the first Cougar setter ever to register 20 digs in a Canada West match. Togawa also had five kills, while Ashlee Sandiford led the team in that category with 10. Kathleen Ens added nine kills and a match-high seven blocks.
The Cougars will finish off the Canada West schedule at home next Friday and Saturday against Manitoba (9-11). One win over the Bisons would clinch the U of R's first postseason berth since 2014 as the Cougars continue to battle Alberta and Brandon for fifth in the Canada West standings.
UBC will now prepare for a home-and-home next weekend with Trinity Western before completing the conference slate at home against Saskatchewan on the Feb. 16/17 weekend.