‘Birds improve to 3-0, still yet to drop a set

REGINA – The defending U SPORTS Champion UBC Thunderbirds (3-0) kept their perfect start to the season going against the University of Regina Cougars (0-3) winning in straight sets (25-17, 25-23, 25-13) at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport on Friday evening.

Akash Grewal led the way for the T-Birds’ attack, tallying 10 kills on a tidy .350 hitting percentage, while also adding five digs. Captain Claire Cossarini also played a huge all-around role in the win, recording seven kills on a brilliant .429 attack percentage as well as an ace, a solo block, three block assists and four digs. Second year setter Issy Robertshaw continued to thrive in the starting role, dishing out 22 assists with no setting errors.

The first set saw the Cougars jump out to a 7-4 lead, but UBC eventually took control with a 9-1 run that put the blue and gold up 13-8. The Cougars got the next three points but could draw no closer, and the ‘Birds clinched the opening set with a Trinity Solecki service ace.

In the second set, the Cougars put together seven straight points with Reese Evjen on serve, then went on another 5-1 run to go up 15-7 and force UBC to take its second timeout. Regina led by as many as nine points after going up 17-8, but the T-Birds reeled off the next seven points with Katarina Pantovic serving to get right back into it. UBC completed the comeback after breaking a 23-23 tie with the next two points, which came off of a block by Claire Cossarini and Lucy Borowski and a kill by Pantovic.

It was all T-Birds from there, as the squad rode the momentum from its second-set comeback into the third, hitting .344 as a team and cruising to a 25-13 win.

The ‘Birds still have yet to drop a set on the young season, with the Cougars 23 points in the second set representing the most that UBC has given up all year. The two teams square off again in a rematch at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (PT). Watch the game live or on demand on Canada West TV.