Lenai Schmidt (on left) and Kaitlynn Givenn and the rest of the Heat were unable to win a game in Brandon this past weekend. (Photo by Heat athletics)
Women's Volleyball (Canada West Conference Play)
Saturday, November 9, 2013 BOX SCORE | SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Healthy Living Centre, Brandon, MB
| SET SCORES | 1 | 2 | 3 | TEAM RECORDS | |
| Brandon | (3) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 5-1 |
| UBC Okanagan | (0) | 10 | 18 | 22 | 4-2 |
BRANDON, MB - The UBC Okanagan Heat women’s volleyball team were unable to take advantage of the famous Prairie hospitality this past weekend, as the Brandon Bobcats swept the Heat on Saturday 3-0 (25-10, 25-18, 25-22) in Brandon at the Healthy Living Centre.
The Heat struggled to generate any offense throughout the three sets versus the Bobcats. The first set was especially bleak for the Kelowna squad as they mustered just one kill and a -.333 attack rate, falling 25-10 out of the gate. The offense got better as the game went on, but the Heat would only finish the game with an -.043 attack rate for the game - far below the .230 they headed into the weekend series with.
The Bobcats, the No. 6 ranked team in the nation, were more than happy to take advantage Heat’s offense woes, pounding down 37 kills at a 23-percent clip to put away the UBC Okanagan team.
Heat head coach Steve Manuel simply explained the Heat’s troubles on Saturday as a “poorly played game,” and that “[we] gave Brandon too many easy chances, they took full advantage of it.”
Four players hit over 33-percent versus the Heat, who normally hold teams to under 10-percent (.072). Leading the way for Brandon was Shanlee McLennan, who had a match-high 14 kills and at a .407 rate. Victoria Dakin had a match-high 10 digs, while middles Alexis Loewen put up six blocks and four kills in 10 attempts and Meaghan Robertson finished with six kills (.33) and five blocks.
The Heat steadily got better as the match went on dropping the second set 25-18, and nearly grabbing the third, before the Bobcats finished it 25-22.
Kaitlynn Given the second year outside hitter from Kelowna Secondary, for the fifth time in six UBC Okanagan matches, was top in kills. Today she put down eight versus the Bobcats. Megan Festival, another second year outside hitter, but Festival is from Calgary, had seven kills as well, but as a team the Heat only mustered five blocks.
After the two road losses to a top-ten team the UBC Okanagan Heat’s record now stands at 4-2.
“[It was a] tough road trip, against a hot Brandon team. We showed our youth this weekend and that's ok. We lost two matches on the road to a top ranked CIS team,” explained coach Manuel. “We will regroup and carry on, lots of great things to come from this team.”
They will get that chance to show good things but will have to do so in another Prairie city as UBC Okanagan will travel to Saskatoon for a pair of games with the Saskatchewan Huskies this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 15-16).
Brandon jumps to 5-1 and up next for the Bobcats is a weekend road-trip to Winnipeg to play the Manitoba Bisons.
- with notes from Matt Packwood (Sports Information and Marketing Officer, Brandon University)
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