In the second match at the national championship the Heat women's volleyball team go 3-0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-15) over the Dalhousie Tigers. Play U of T tomorrow (Saturday) at 4 p.m. PT in semifinal.
Women's Volleyball (CIS national championship quarter-final match)
Saturday, March 11, 2016
HLC (Healthy Learning Centre), Brandon University, Brandon, MB
SET SCORES 1 2 3 TEAM RECORDS Dalhousie........... (0) 17 10 15 0-1 UBC Okanagan........ (3) 25 25 25 1-0
BRANDON, Man. (CIS) – The UBC Okanagan Heat made their first-ever match in a CIS Women's Volleyball Championship a good one.
It took just three sets for UBC Okanagan to earn their first ever CIS national championship victory.
Megan Festival, Bianna Beamish and Kaitlynn Given each had nine kills as the third-seeded Heat swept the sixth-seeded Dalhousie Tigers 25-17, 25-10, 25-15 on Friday.
With the win, the Heat earned a semifinal match with the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday.
The semifinal versus the OUA champion U of T is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT at the Healthy Living Centre on the Brandon University campus.
"I almost have to pinch myself," said Heat head coach Steve Manuel, who was named the CIS women's volleyball coach of the year on Thursday. "To be playing in the national semifinal tomorrow is unbelievable for our young program."
UBCO committed only nine attack errors all match. They had eight services aces to Dalhousie's six, keeping the Tigers off-balance for most of the match.
Fourth year setter and former member of the CIS All-rookie team Emily Oxland led the Heat with four service aces. Megan Festival from Calgary, AB added a pair and fifth year Kate DeJong, also from Calgary, spun a pair of aces as she closed out the second set with two of the three final points off her serve.
"It's no real secret that (serving well is) something that's important for us.," Manuel said. "If you look at some of the other Canada West teams that are here, they're a lot bigger than us. So for us it's about ball control, it's about being strategic and we've got to keep teams off balance in order for us to be successful."
Beamish said the match was more difficult for her team than it looked.
Dalhousie's such a good team and they're so well coached, so we knew it was going to be a battle," she said. "Although it didn't necessarily reflect it in the score, for us we were really working hard to score points."
Jessica Josenhans had seven kills for the Tigers, while Courtney Baker added six, but the Tigers had more attack errors (24) than kills (23).
"I thought we hung in there early but just weren't able to sustain it and lost to a very good team, so congrats to them," said Tigers head coach Rick Scott.
UBCO, the Canada West silver medalist entered as the tournament’s third seed, opened the competition against sixth-seed and AUS champions the Tigers from Halifax, N.S. in the second match of the eight team national tournament hosted by Brandon University hit the technical timeout first in all three sets en route to their victory.
The first set was the best offensive set for the Tigers, they hit .143 in the first but finished the match converting at a -.012 rate. Both teams were jittery to start but UBCO grabbed the early lead (25-17).
The Heat were extremely efficient finishing the match at a .418 attack rate, their worst set was the third (.318).
Player of the match for UBC Okanagan, Katy Klomps might have something to do with Dal’s hitting woes. The three-time Canada West All-Star and 2014/15 CIS All-Canadian, finished the three set match with nine blocks.
Player of the match for the Tigers was Courtney Baker.
The change of direction worked in the Heat’s favour as six of the Heat’s eight aces were spun in the (25-10) second set.
The Tigers grabbed their largest lead they would muster in the match jumping out to a (4-1) lead. Emily Oxland would follow Katie Wuttunee’s two point service run with a five point run to send the Heat to a (10-5) advantage. UBCO would outscore Dal 15-10 to close out the set and the match (25-15).
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS (PACIFIC TIME)
Friday, March 11
10:30 Quarter-final #1: Toronto 3, McGill 2 (18-25, 25-17, 25-27, 25-23, 15-13)
12:30 Quarter-final #2: UBC Okanagan 3, Dalhousie 0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-15)
16:00 Quarter-final #3: Brandon 1 vs. Trinity Western 3 (25-23, 25-15, 23-25, 25-19)
18:00 Quarter-final #4: UBC vs. Montreal (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
Saturday, March 12
10:30 Consolation #1: McGill vs. Dalhousie (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
12:30 Consolation #2: Loser QF #3 vs. Loser QF #4 (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
16:00 Semifinal #1: Toronto vs. UBC Okanagan (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
18:00 Semifinal #2: Winner QF #3 vs. Winner QF #4 (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
Sunday, March 13
11:00 5th place (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
13:00 Bronze medal (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)
16:00 Championship final (WCGtv / www.CIS-SIC.tv)