Mounting a comeback the No. 5 ranked UBC Thunderbirds salvaged a weekend split with a 3-1 (24-26, 25-20, 26-24, 29-27) win Saturday night at the PAC in Saskatoon over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

After losing the first set 26-24, UBC won the second, third and fourth sets for the win. A night earlier, the Huskies won 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 17-25, 35-33, 15-9). 

Tied 9-9 in the third set, Saskatchewan went on a four-point run to take a 13-9 lead. UBC chipped away in the set tying it at 18. The teams tied the set at 21, 22 and 24 before a Saskatchewan service error and a block by Alex Russell and Schmidt gave UBC the 26-24 win. 

The T-Birds seemed to take momentum from the third set win pulling away after an 11-point tie. UBC went on a four-point run and was the first to the technical timeout leading 16-12. The Huskies pulled within one at 20-19 after a Jordon Nowakowski service ace. Trading points and tied at 23, UBC's Irvan Brar put the T-Birds at match point with a long kill that Saskatchewan couldn't dig up. Robert Graham returned the ball and tied the set back at 24. The teams tied the set three more times before a Schmidt attack and block sealed the 29-27 win for UBC.

UBC spread the offence around with four T-Birds registered double-digits in kills. Mac McNicol led the quartet with 15 kills, followed by Schmidt at 12, Brar at 11 and Chris Howe with 10. Brar also led the T-Birds with 13 kills.

Paul Thomson and Nowakowski registered double-doubles in the loss. Thomson led the duo with 20 kills and 11 digs, while Nowakowski recorded 16 kills and 10 digs. Robert Graham tallied another 14 kills for the Huskies. 

With the win UBC finishes the first half of the season 10-6. Saskatchewan is 8-6.

Both teams enter the Canada West-wide December break. The Huskies resume conference action January 9-10 at home hosting the Brandon Bobcats, while UBC returns to the court on January 16-17 on the road against the Bobcats.