WVB: Saskatchewan Falls to UBC in Straight Sets

VANCOUVER, BC – The UBC Thunderbirds (12-2) completed a weekend sweep of the Saskatchewan Huskies (6-8) to with a 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-21) win at War Memorial Gym. 
 
Olivia Mattern and Mandi Fraser each notched four kills for Saskatchewan on Saturday evening – with Mattern adding six total blocks and eight digs – while Julia Howell Bourner had nine total digs to go along with three kills in the loss.  
 
Mattern got up for a kill from the left side to bring the Huskies within seven at 16-9 UBC but was blocked by Petit at 18-9. Akash Grewal put away an overpass to earn UBC a set point and Emma Doyon closed it out at 25-12 in the first set.
 
The Huskies kept pace with the Thunderbirds in the second set, as a Mattern block put Saskatchewan up 6-5. Cara Kovacs responded with a kill from the middle and back-to-back aces to reclaim a narrow 8-7 lead. With the score even at 20-20, Erika Vermette cracked a kill, and the Thunderbirds didn’t look back en route to a 25-22 win on another Vermette kill.
 
UBC led throughout the third – going up 20-11 on a Kovacs kill before the Huskies pulled within six thanks to a Mattern kill at 21-15. Saskatchewan fought hard and drew within three after a Howell Bourner block late in the set, but the Thunderbirds settled in and finished it 25-21.

UBC showed off their depth with five players recording five or more kills, as Elise Petit led the way with 10 kills, Cara Kovacs had nine kills with three aces and four blocks, and Lucy Borowski put up eight kills and nine digs. 
 
Next Up
The Huskies are back home at the Physical Activity Complex on January 13 & 14 to take on the top-seeded Trinity Western Spartans (13-1). Tickets are available at HuskieTickets.com.