By Danielle Doiron 

The University of Manitoba Bisons defeated the #5 UBC Thunderbirds 3-1 in men's volleyball at the Investors Group Athletic Centre on Saturday, November 8.

The Manitoba victory shut down UBC's six-game win streak and dropped the Thunderbirds down to 8-2. The Bisons finally ended their three-game losing streak and now sit at 6-4.

"We just beat a very good team," said Manitoba head coach Garth Pischke. "We played with some passion. We played like we had to play, like every point is match point."

The Bisons took an early lead, winning the first set 25-16 with a .609 attack percentage. Manitoba captain Adam DeJonckheere started the match strong with seven kills in the opening set.

He added four more in the second, but UBC fought back to cut Manitoba to a two-point 16-14 lead at the technical timeout. The Bisons stretched their advantage to three points to win the set 25-22.

Momentum shifted in the third when the Thunderbirds claimed an early lead. They were up 16-11 at the technical timeout. The Bisons closed the gap to two, but couldn't gain an advantage. UBC took the set 25-23 on their third match point attempt.

Manitoba stepped it up in the fourth to win the set 25-15 and the game 3-1.

"It's a good feeling," Pischke said. "We've just got to find a way to keep that passion and support on the court every game."

The Bisons play on the road next Friday against the Brandon University Bobcats at 7:45 p.m. CST. UBC takes on #1 Alberta at home on Friday at 8 p.m. PST.