The University of Regina’s women’s volleyball team lost to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in three sets in their second game of the Canada West playoffs.
UBC started hot in the first set, taking the first five points. The Cougars battled back to make it tied 6-6 but the Thunderbirds took the next seven of the next eight points. That gave them a big enough lead to cruise to a 25-15 first set win.
The Thunderbirds scored the opening point of the second set but the Cougars quickly tied it to make it 1-1. The two teams continued to go back-and-forth until it was tied at 8-8. UBC again went on a run, as they took nine of the next 10 points to put the set away and win 25-16.
The Cougars started the third set better, taking the first two points and three of the first four. It slowly started to unravel for them after that, as UBC took eight of the next 10 points to lead 9-5. The Cougars started to come back, as an ace by Devyn Grimsrud made it 12-10 for the Thunderbirds. The Cougars continued to keep pace with UBC, as they lowered the Thunderbirds lead to just one late in the set when it was 20-19. UBC scored four straight points to make it 24-19. The Cougars could not mount a comeback and UBC took the match with a 25-20 third set win.
UBC got good performances from Brynn Pasin (12 kills, four digs), Cara Kovacs (10 kills, four digs), Kayla Oxland (34 assists, five digs, two kills) and Jess Goodridge (nine digs, two assists).
The Cougars will play their final game of the season tomorrow against the Winnipeg Wesmen. That game will take place at 1:00 p.m. MT (2:00 p.m. Sask.) in Edmonton.
UBC will play the Alberta Pandas tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. If the Thunderbirds win tomorrow, they will clinch first place in their four team pod.