By Danielle Doiron

The University of Manitoba Bisons lost to the #3 UBC Okanagan Heat in straight sets (25-16, 25-13 and 25-16) in women's volleyball at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Saturday, January 9 afternoon.
 
The victory extends the Heat's win streak to seven games and gives UBC Okanagan a 13-1 record. Manitoba now sits at a 2-12 record after their third straight loss.
 
"I thought we did a good job coming back," Bison head coach Ken Bentley said after the game. "We played hard, but we just couldn't close the gap."
 
UBC Okanagan's Michelle Jakszuk and Katie Wuttunee put up 13 and 12 kills, respectively, while Manitoba's Angelica Kilberg had six.
 
The teams looked evenly matched at the start of the first set until the Heat took a 12-7 lead after two kills from Brianna Beamish and a pair of Manitoba attack errors. The Bisons fought back, taking advantage of UBC Okanagan's mistakes and adding a service ace from Kalena Schulz, but they couldn't stop the Heat toward the end of the set. UBC Okanagan held Manitoba pointless through the last seven rallies and won the set 25-16 on a Bison attack error.
 
UBC Okanagan put up four straight kills and quickly took a 6-4 lead to force a Manitoba timeout early in the second. The strong attacks continued on both sides for the rest of the set. The teams combined for 22 kills, six of which came from Wuttunee.
 
The Heat dominated after the technical timeout, scoring on seven straight rallies, including a pair of service aces from veteran setter Chandler Proch. The Bisons added a point and broke up the Heat's streak, but it wasn't enough, and UBC Okanagan took the set 25-13 on the next rally.
 
The third set looked a lot like the second, until Manitoba's Schulz served two straight aces and Tori Studler added a kill to cut the Heat's lead to 13-10. But UBC Okanagan responded with powerful attacks, and the Bisons couldn't keep up. Manitoba held the Heat off at match point twice before a kill from UBC Okanagan's Siobhan Fitzpatrick won the set 25-16 and the game 3-0.
 
"I'm disappointed but not discouraged," Bentley said. "Angelica Kilberg did a great job for a first-year kid. They're a good team, and we'll move on."
 
Both Bison volleyball teams have a bye next week, and Bentley said he plans to use the break for extra practice.
 
"I'd rather not be off right after a break," he said, "but it'll give us two weeks to recreate as much as we can in practice and address some issues."
 
Manitoba will next play the Trinity Western University Spartans at home on Friday, Jan. 22. UBC Okanagan will take on the University of Alberta Pandas in a doubleheader next weekend.
 
Set scores: 25-16, 25-13, 25-16
 
Kill leaders: Michelle Jakszuk (UBC Okanagan) 13, Angelica Kilberg (Manitoba) 6
Dig leaders: Caleigh Dobie (Manitoba) 10, Brianna Beamish (UBC Okanagan) 9
Assist leaders: Emily Oxland (UBC Okanagan) 38, Sydney Purvis (Manitoba) 14