Missing two senior starters the Heat drop second in a row to an Calgary Dinos squad in Calgary on Saturday night.
Men’s Volleyball (Canada West conference match)
Saturday, November 14th, 2015
Jack Simpson Gymnasium, Calgary AB
SET SCORES 1 2 3 4 TEAM RECORDS UBC Okanagan........ (1) 25 20 25 19 1-7 Calgary............. (3) 27 25 21 25 8-2
CALGARY – The Heat were unable to produce a win at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium, as the University of Calgary claimed two straight games (25-27, 20-25, 25-21, 19-25). After a long-drawn-out five-setter in their first match of the weekend, the Heat were finished off by the Dinos in four sets on Saturday. A strong come-from-behind finish in the fourth set catapulted the Dinos to victory.
With a home sweep of the Heat this weekend, the Dinos now sit second in Canada West with an 8-2 record. The Heat remain winless on the road, and now sit with a 1-6 record.
Leo Schober led the Heat in kills with a total of nine (0.438), followed by Kyle Pankratz who finished the game with a total of eight (0.333).
It was the Heat who started the first set positively, pulling ahead 7-3 with some strong blocking play. The Dinos came back into it with a five-point run that brought the score to 8-7.
The teams traded points back and forth for the rest of the first set. The home side’s solid hitting play was canceled out by their over-hit serves, which gifted the Heat some points.
With the score at 24-22 for the Heat, the Dinos won some crucial rallies, keeping in it and eventually taking set one with a score of 27-25 off a service ace from Alex Cook.
The second set started out evenly, with the score tied at 3-3, 7-7 and 9-9. A five point lead (17-12) was the greatest point differentiation between the Dinos and the Heat in the second set. Late in the set, UBC Okanagan made a come back with Leo Schober going on a three point service run that put the Heat within two points of the home team. Although the set was evenly matched, the Kelowna squad was unable to claim any leads against the Dino as they took the set 25-20.
Not giving up without a fight, the Heat picked up their performance in the third set, pulling ahead 12-8 and causing The Dinos to call a time-out. The Heat continued to lead for the rest of the set, taking it 25-21. Right-side Kyle Pankratz was the set’s best performer, registering a set-high six kills for the visitors one of which ended the set.
Like the third, the fourth set started with the Heat pulling ahead and playing well, leading 4-3, 10-6 and 15-12. It was looking like the match could repeat Friday’s five-setter.
But the Dinos pulled it together to go on a seven-point run, with Frehlich racking up the kills. Frehlich lead the home team with an impressive 17 kills on the night (0.467), proving to be an unmanageable force that the Heat defence could not handle.
Other strong performers for the Dinos were setter Jackson Maris, who finished with 39 assists, and libero Derek Meeuwisse, who managed 14 digs. For the Heat, Adam Kern earned a game-high 10 blocks and Lars Bornemann had seven kills.
The Dinos finished the game at their best, winning 13 of the last 17 rallies. Outside-hitter Calvin Siebert won the last point for the Dinos with a powerful cross-court strike, making the score 25-19.
Coach Greg Poitras stated that the team “didn’t score the ball as well as last night” and that the Dinos “scored the ball well both nights, and we didn’t really have an answer for some of their guys.” The Heat had even less to choose from to matchup with the fifth ranked Dinos as they played Calgary without two senior starters: Outside hitter Jim Bell, and libero Jeremy Fostvelt.
“Played a line up we haven’t practiced with this season,” Poitras explained. “We had two concussions within 24 hours before we left, we had to figure out what was our best line up and switch it and […] grind it out.” that way.”
Playing different lineups may have jumbled their continuity as the mistakes weren’t any more frequent just “not executing when we needed too,”especially at key times. Missing serves at critical times, back breaking,” finished Poitras.
The Heat face off against the University of Brandon Friday (Nov. 20th) at 3:45 p.m. PST and then on Saturday (Nov. 21st) at 2:45 p.m. PST, in Manitoba at the Healthy Living Centre.
The Dinos continue their season at home next weekend, where they are undefeated, with two matches vs. the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
~ With notes from Scott Strasser // Dinos communications