KELOWNA, B.C. – For arguably the first time this season the home town UBC Okanagan Heat men's volleyball team found a cohesion, consistency, and killer instinct to capture the first set against visiting Manitoba Saturday night, but ultimately could not sustain that over three more sets as Bisons leave with 3-1 match win and weekend sweep (21-25, 25-18,25-16, 25-22).
Offense came a lot easier for a Heat squad that largely struggled to get into a groove the night prior. Third-year outside hitter Jim Bell (Surrey, BC) led his team with 15 kills (.297). Second-year outside hitter Lars Bornemann (Victoria, BC) also collected double-digit numbers in kills with 11 to trail Bell.
UBC Okanagan noticeably tightened up its mistakes from the night prior, and a superior defense in the first set was the key difference maker in the Heat's four-point victory in that frame. However, the second and third sets saw the team get back to their ways of a night prior, with the defense on its back feet and a timid attack running into the Bisons' front line.
Manitoba more than obliged their opponents in the relapse as third-year right side Devren Dear (St. Andrews, MB) led a stampede by the prairie squad in a vicious 25-18 second set comeback. Dear wound up with a game-high 21 kills (.341) on the night to go alongside a team-high 2.5 blocks.
The difference maker between the first set and the rest of the match was simple for third-year Heat middle Jim Bell. "Team energy on the court," he admitted succinctly before continuing, "We were playing true to ourselves, we were executing ourselves well. When there wasn't a lot of energy on the court, things fell through."
"That was, I thought, a good team there in the first set," Bell added, referring to his squad in the first frame. "I think we'll be a tough team to beat if we can maintain that. The trick right now is to find that steady gear and team unity all game long."
Heat coach Greg Poitras was unafraid to throw a few different faces and lineups at the Bisons, and fourth-year Kyle Pankratz (Surrey, BC) provided a much needed spark of energy off of the bench, and Heat Player of the Game Chris Wilson (2nd year, North Vancouver, BC) filled in the gaps where he could when Bell and Bornemann struggled in the middle of the match, tallying five kills (.625), one service ace and four digs along the way.
UBC Okanagan found themselves up 16-13 heading into the technical timeout in the fourth set, looking as if they had regained their composure with a shot to force a fifth. Neck and neck at 22-22, a few untimely attack errors would finally bury the Heat.
Joining Dear on the Bisons' offensive lifting was second-year left side Adam DeJonckheere (Winnipeg, MB) with 18 kills (.419). Teammate Luke Herr (Winnipeg, MB) orchestrated the Bisons attack to the tune of 46 assists.
Heat setter Kristof Schlagintweit (3rd year, Abbotsford, BC) led the Heat defense in the match with two solo blocks and one block assist. He recorded 32 assists for the night.
The Heat are now 0-6 through the first three weekends of Canada West action this season, while the Bisons improve to 5-1. The former has yet to win a match against their prairie foe, holding an 0-8 regular season and 0-2 postseason record therein.
UBC Okanagan hits the road to sister school UBC Thunderbirds next weekend for a back-to-back series, while Manitoba also heads to the coast for a series with Trinity Western. Both matchups will get underway at 8 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Stream the action at home and view live stats at canadawest.tv.