T-Birds win streak snapped by Bisons

VANCOUVER – The conference-leading UBC Thunderbirds saw their nine-match winning streak snapped by the Manitoba Bisons following a 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-19, 25-20) loss. The T-Birds struggled uncharacteristically on the offensive end, hitting just .157 as a unit and committing 19 service errors in the setback.
 
Reeve Gingera had an up-and-down night but finished with 17 kills, 10 digs and four blocks. Gavin Moes was the most efficient attacker with 13 kills on a .348 hitting percentage along with six digs. Logan Greves had a big performance on the defensive end with a career-high 15 digs.
 
Moes started out hot with four kills and an ace for UBC’s first five points of the first set. Manitoba, however, then reeled off a big run to take a 12-7 lead.
 
The T-Birds made multiple pushes, including a 5-1 burst capped by a big block from Jon Lockie to make it just 20-18 in favour of the Bisons, but the visitors closed out the set with a 25-21 win.
 
The T-Birds again started strong in the second with Greves serving an ace to make it 3-0, and UBC led wire-to-wire in the set. A pair of off-speed kills from Conaire Taub keyed a big run to make it 14-9 and force a timeout from the Bisons.
 

MVB | @ubcmvb‘s Conaire Taub serves, followed by a block from Jon Lokie. The T-Birds lead the second set 21-16 against the Bisons. #GoBirdsGo

: https://t.co/TdjaH9qtA1 pic.twitter.com/uXeMYVQZSJ

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) January 21, 2024

The Thunderbirds didn’t take their foot off the gas, with back-to-back kills from Moes and Gingera stretching their lead out to eight points. An ace from Nicholas Johnson made it 24-16, before Taub finally finished off the frame with a kill at 25-19.
 
It was Manitoba who came out strong in the third, going on a massive run in the middle portion of the set to make it 18-9. Back-to-back blocks from Jesse Umoren and Gingera got UBC back into it, and a kill from Taub soon after cut the lead to just four, but that’s as close as they got before the Bisons took the set 25-19.

 
Down 2-1 in set count, UBC came out firing to start the fourth with consecutive kills from Gingera putting them out in front 3-0. Unfortunately, a series of T-Birds errors allowed the Bisons to climb back into the set and take the lead.
 
Frustrations boiled over with the UBC bench receiving a red card, part of a 9-1 run to make it 18-10 in favour of the visitors. The Thunderbirds again made a comeback bid, cutting the lead to just four late on in the set, but it was too little too late as Manitoba grinded out a 25-20 victory.
 
The loss puts UBC in a tie with Alberta at the top of the Canada West standings. The T-Birds now have a bye week before taking on arch-rivals Trinity Western in a home-and-home series at the beginning of February. Their clash at War Memorial Gym is set for February 2^nd.