Aaron Martin / UBC Thunderbirds
VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's volleyball team got better and better over the course of the evening, rallying from an early deficit to claim a 3-1 win over the Regina Cougars in the first game of the Canada West Playoff quarterfinals match.
The best-of-three series opening contest ended with set scores 16-25, 25-23, 25-18, and 25-14.
Freshman Kiera Van Ryk led UBC attackers with 16 kills, while Anna Price (11 kills), Olivia Furlan (10 kills), and Ciara Hanly (10) all hit double digits. Hanly and Attieh, who finished with nine kills, shared the team lead with three aces apiece.
The Thunderbirds' relentless attack took a while to find its rhythm, but by late in the third frame, the hosts were firing on all cylinders. Up just 16-15, the 'Birds got a jolt in the form of Van Ryk's thunderous swing, as the rookie dropped three kills in over the next four points, keying a 6-1 run that saw UBC take their first commanding lead of any set.
A pair of kills from Ashlee Sandiford weren't enough to pull the Cougars out of their hole, as the 'Birds sealed the set and claimed a 2-1 advantage on a kill from Ciara Hanly, followed up by an ace from Olivia Furlan.
The 'Birds carried that offensive momentum in the fourth, racking up 18 kills to just five errors in the final set en route to that decisive 25-14 triumph. The stanza was determined by a dominant 9-0 UBC run in the middle stages, as Furlan proved unstoppable over the stretch. Racking up four kills over the nine-point swing, the setter gave the 'Birds all the advantage they needed, as they coasted to the win.
The Cougars overpowered the 'Birds at the net over the course of the game, and in the opening set, coupled with a host of UBC attacking errors, that proved enough to claim a 25-16 decision. Regina had five points off of blocks in that opening frame, with Sandiford, Kathleen Ens, and Brooklyn Reynolds each having a hand in two rejections for the visitors.
Sandiford and Ens ended up tied with a team-high eight kills apiece for Regina.
A four-point margin was the biggest gap in the second frame, with neither side able to create more than a two-point cushion over the set's final 19. However, the 'Birds got ahead when it mattered, as, tied up 22-22, Anna Price, Van Ryk, and Hanly all delivered kills to close out the set on a 3-1 run and pull UBC even at one set apiece.
Thunderbirds head coach Doug Reimer credited the visitors with getting off to a good start.
"I thought Regina executed and brought great energy for the first two sets," said Reimer. "In some ways were even fortunate to win the second set because we spotted them too many points by making uncharacteristic errors. However, in playoffs you have to be prepared for those types of obstacles and the fact that Regina played us hard should not have come as a surprise because they've been doing it all year."
Reimer was pleased his squad raised their level as the game progressed.
"Some of the keys for us included our Libero Samantha Patko who was steady throughout and really anchored passing and defence and we needed that and then other players after a set and a half really got rolling," added Reimer. "Among others Olivia Furlan did a very good job of setting in the second half while adding some timely kills."
The 'Birds will look to close out the series and punch their ticket to the Canada West Playoff semifinals tomorrow night, as the first serve of Game Two is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT at War Memorial Gym.
PHOTO: Ben Nelms / UBC Thunderbirds