T-Birds remain unbeaten with straight sets win over MacEwan

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (5-0) won their fourth consecutive game in straight sets with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-19) victory over the MacEwan University Griffins (0-4) at War Memorial Gym to remain undefeated in Canada West action.
 
Elise Petit led the T-Birds with 11 kills and added two aces and six digs, while Lucy Borowski tallied 10 kills and Brynn Pasin had seven kills with 10 digs in the win. Second-year ‘Bird Victoria D’Acre came up big in her first appearance of the season with four crucial aces and consistent serving that helped lift UBC to an undefeated record on home court.
 

WVB | @ubcwvb1 earns the straight sets win 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-19)
vs @MacEwanGriffins to open their weekend series at War Memorial Gym.

With the victory the T-Birds improve to 5-0 on the @CanadaWest season.

: pic.twitter.com/QmyKTX37XN

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) November 5, 2022

“Despite the win, our team has identified a number of things that we needed to do better,” said UBC head coach Doug Reimer, as the Thunderbirds continue to develop early in the season. “We came back into our own gym and didn’t serve as well as last weekend, which was disappointing. Every match is different, but at the end of the day you have to beat them to 25 points and win by two – and we were able to do that. When some aspects of the play aren’t at the level you expect, you have to be very conscious to not let that bleed into other areas.”
 
Mariah Bereziuk had an impressive team-high 13 kills for the Griffins with eight digs and Emma Brooks put up six kills with two blocks in the loss.

 
With the score knotted up at 14-14 in the first, the ‘Birds went up one on a Griffins service error before a Cara Kovacs block made it 16-14 UBC. Emma Doyon came up with a big solo block for an 18-15 lead and the T-Birds earned a set point after a marathon rally at 24-20 that they closed out after a MacEwan attack error at 25-20.
 
Petit picked up her second kill of the second set for a 3-2 lead, but a string of errors led to a T-Birds timeout down 12-7. Payton Shimoda served an ace for a 15-9 Griffins cushion before UBC stormed back and pulled within one on an Erika Vermette kill at 20-19. Petit tied it at 20-20 with a kill and D’Acre followed it up with an ace to take the lead by one. Another D’Acre ace made it 23-20 and Petit put the ‘Birds up a set point that they won on a MacEwan error at 25-20.

 
Madison Hoppus scored back-to-back points for the Griffins with a kill and an ace in the third, and the visitors led 12-9 after a Brooks kill. Kovacs earned a kill to even the score at 16-16 and D’Acre collected two more aces for a 20-17 UBC lead. A Borowski kill gave the ‘Birds a match point that they converted on a Petit attack at 25-19 to close it out in straight sets.
 
The two teams will square off again on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (PT) inside War Memorial Gym with the Thunderbirds looking to maintain their winning streak and the Griffins striving for their first victory on the season.