WVB: T-Birds advance to Round 2 with win over Regina

EDMONTON – In a dominant performance at Saville Centre on Friday morning, the UBC Thunderbirds clinched their spot in next week’s Round 2 of the Canada West Playoffs with a 3-0 win (25-15, 25-16, 25-20) over the Regina Cougars.
 
The win is the second for UBC this weekend, following a 3-1 win over Winnipeg on Thursday afternoon. Regina, meanwhile, sees their playoff hopes vanish, dropping to 0-2 this weekend.
 
Brynn Pasin led UBC with a game-high 12 kills, with Cara Kovacs adding 10, and Kayla Oxland chipping in 34 assists and five digs.
 
Jessica Lerminiaux led Regina with nine kills on 26 attempts, but committed five attack errors, and two return errors.
 
The UBC offence was lights out early, putting up a .481 attack percentage in the opening set. Pasin led the T-Birds with six kills in the first, with Cara Kovacs and Claire Cossarini adding three each. UBC also added four aces, with their serve causing Regina problems all afternoon.
 
Regina mustered just nine kills on 26 attempts in the first, led by five from Lerminiaux.
 
Five more aces from UBC swung the momentum for the ‘Birds in the second, in another efficient set. Pasin and Kovacs added three more kills each, while Regina continued to struggle on serve receive, recording just seven kills on 15 attempts.
 
A sloppy third set from UBC, however, gave Regina life. Six attack errors and five service errors from the ‘Birds kept the Cougars in the third set.
 
A kill from Kovacs ended all hopes for an upset, sealing the 3-0 UBC win.
 
The Thunderbirds will wrap up the first round tomorrow night, when they take on the host Alberta Pandas at 6:00 PM. Regina will finish their season against Winnipeg at 1:00 PM.