KELOWNA, B.C. – Canada West regular season MVP Rachel Cockrell put on a virtuoso performance and shattered a record, but the host UBC Okanagan Heat women's volleyball team found fire in the latter stages of their Saturday quarterfinals match with Manitoba to win 3-2 (25-15, 20-25, 21-25, 25-14, 15-3).
The five-set victory sends the Heat back to the Final Four as the No. 2 ranked team in the country unseated the defending CIS national champions.
29 kills by Cockrell set a new all-time single-match playoff record, formerly held by Lisa Barclay of the UBC Thunderbirds set at 27 coincidently also against UBC Okanagan last February at the Canada West Final Four.
UBC Okanagan started things where they left off a night prior when they swept Manitoba in straight sets, taking the first frame Saturday 25-15.
The reigning MVP and First-Team All-Star Cockrell would put the Bisons on her shoulders, literally and figuratively, as she pounded away at one of the league's best defenses at the net. Buoyed by her efforts, Manitoba would make the weekend a series when they captured the second set 25-20.
Cockrell would not cool off, recording her 18th kill early on in the third set. Completely in sync with setter Brittany Habing and adapting her attack with a variety of moves, the third-year hitter powered the Bisons to a third set victory 25-21 to go up 2-1 over the Heat.
The usually staunch blocking might of the Heat was a little more absent through the first three sets, but not so in the fourth, as league leader in total blocks Katy Klomps went on to record her first two solo blocks in that frame. It was also in the fourth that Player of the Game Michelle Jakszuk also began cranking up her game from off the bench, while third-year Brianna Beamish began heating up from the wings. The Heat would rebound mightily to take the fourth set 25-14 to force a fifth.
The match would become the Heat's ninth fifth-set match of the season by that point, after they had gone 5-3 in the regular season. The Bisons meanwhile had a 3-4 record for sudden deaths.
Beamish would get on the board first, while setter Chandler Proch then proceeded to serve up four tough rallies and the Heat got out to a commanding 5-0 start. Jakszuk, Klomps, and fellow fourth-year middle Katie Wuttunee shut the doors at the net from then out and the Heat surged to a 10-2 lead to force a final timeout from Manitoba.
The Bisons managed only one more point and an attack error by Cockrell—her 76th swing of the night—sealed the advancement for the Kelowna squad.
Player of the Game Jakszuk wrapped up with 12 kills and five blocks on the night coming off of the bench.
Beamish put in a highly efficient night with a team-high 20 kills on 40 attempts. Canada West Second-Team All-Star Katie Wuttunee finished with 10 kills and three blocks.
Libero Kailin Jones dug up 21 balls for the Heat, while Beamish and Megan Festival each chipped in 15 digs.
Habing led the match with 36 assists for the Bisons, almost exclusively to Cockrell, and added a team-high 12 digs with two service aces. First-year Kalena Schulz put down five kills and recorded ten digs.
Third-year Sarah Klassen led the defensive efforts of the Bisons with six blocks. Cockrell added four just behind her.
Once again the Heat served it tough, particularly in the fourth and fifth sets, and wrapped up with ten service aces. Beamish had the most with four.
UBC Okanagan is now 2-0 in postseason play as they advance to the Final Four hosted by the University of Alberta next weekend. Manitoba is now eliminated from the postseason 0-2 in the quarterfinals.
The Heat will now prepare to face the second-seeded Trinity Western Spartans next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. PST at the Saville Sports Centre.
Watch all of the Final Four action online at canadawest.tv.