T-Birds outlast Cougars in five-set thriller

The UBC Thunderbirds outlasted the host MRU Cougars 3-2 (25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 12-15) in a five-set thriller to close out round two of the Canada West Playoffs on Kenyon Court. The T-Birds head into the Final Four weekend with a perfect 5-0 playoff record, leveraging their depth in each matchup which has seen a handful of players step up in key moments.

The Cougars came out fast as they hit .214 compared to the Thunderbirds -.031 in the first set, as some uneasy footwork and six UBC service errors dug the visitors into an early hole.

Elise Petit had a strong start as she finished with five kills in the opening set, a number that would grow to 22 by the end of the night. Showcasing her versatility as she hammered down shots to knock the Cougars back onto their heels.

Brynn Pasin was also apart of the high-flying left-side attack, adding 15 kills and six digs.

“MRU came out blocking really well and further into the match I think I just had to use their block as much as I could,” said Pasin. “They were taking away a lot of space so I tried to be smart, mix it up as much as I could, try and get success wherever.”

Pasin stepped up her game in the second and fifth sets, where she created a beautiful connection with Kayla Oxland which proved to be instrumental in the momentum shift for UBC.

Pasin’s on-court presence, communication and clean passing ability earned her player of the game honours.

The Cougars also had impressive performances on the hardwood, with senior setter Quinn Pelland posting a season high 17 digs, while adding an astounding six push-down kills. Pellands connection with Haley Roe allowed Roe to have the performance of the night for MRU, and in turn earned the other player of the game.

“I think we started out really strong and our blocking defence was amazing, and same with our serve receive,” said Roe. “We just had a few lapses. I think just cleaning those up a little quicker and being able to get out of those dips quicker.”

Roe was a threat on the court, having an even performance across every aspect of the game; 14 kills, the team’s only two aces, 23 serve receptions, 13 digs and five blocks. She seemed to be involved in every play, traveling to every corner of the court to combine with the reach of Nyadholi Thokbuom, who shut down repeated attacks from the UBC side. Thokbuom also finished the night on a high note with 12 kills, three digs and four block assists.

Regardless of the final score on the board, the Cougars had a quality night on the court. Topping the T-Birds by large margins in both of their set wins, 25-15 and 25-16.

?? WVB: UBC (3) at MRU (2)@CanadaWest @ubctbirds pic.twitter.com/3Uvw9eGPyJ

— Mount Royal Cougars (@MRUCougars) March 14, 2022

Both the Cougars and the T-Birds have now secured spots in the CW Final Four next weekend, hosted by the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alta.

“I am very excited,” added Roe as she thinks forward to a high-stakes Final Four weekend. “I think it’ll be a really tough weekend but it’ll be super fun. It’s going to be another really great game like this one, and I think if we work hard and do what we know how to do, the outcome will take care of itself.”

The ‘Birds will take on a familiar foe on Friday, March 18^th as they will matchup with Trinity Western Spartans for the fifth time this season. “It’ll be good,” explained Pasin. “We’ve played Trinity a couple of times. We love to play them. It’ll be a really physical, intense game.”

Saturday, March 19^th will first see the Bronze medal game tipping off at 12:00 p.m. (PT), followed by the Gold medal game at 2:00 p.m. (PT) for a chance to be named Canada West Champion.

As always, games will be streamed live on Canada West TV presented by Co-op.