Under Head Coach Doug Reimer, the UBC volleyball women’s team has had a great run as they are ranked regularly in the CIS top 10 and won six straight CIS national championships. But after the University of Manitoba Bisons ended their championship winning streak in the 2013-2014 season final and a rough start to the 2014-2015 season — losing to McEwan University and Thompson Rivers University — things were not looking good for them.
Despite that, the T-Birds pulled through and managed to end their season with a record of 13-11, qualified for the Canada West Final Four and finished fifth in last year's national championships after falling to the Ottawa Gee Gees. It's a great result by any standard, but for Reimer, the experience has been humbling. For him, the past year has been about “recognizing the amount of work it takes.”
“We were very fortunate [with] six straight national championships. We were still a good team and in the hunt,” said Reimer, who is entering his 18th season coaching the Thunderbirds. “We're just going to try and work to get back in the situation where we were in the final four.”
Over the weekend, the UBC Thunderbirds defeated the Manitoba Bisons in their first home game of the Canada West regular season. They defeated the Bisons in three sets on October 23 and then went on to conclude their perfect weekend at the War Memorial gym with another three-set victory on the October 24.
This might be surprising from the same team that defeated the ‘Birds in the CIS Championship final two seasons ago. But according to Reimer, the team that played this weekend is not the same that the 'Birds faced then.
“They’re very young. Since they beat us to win the national championship two years ago, they graduated a lot of players,” said Reimer, who has the second most regular season wins in the Canada West. “They graduated all but two of their starters.”
“While we’ve had a lot of turnover as well, we’ve got a little bit more experience and I would say more power — especially on the outside."
On Friday, the Bisons looked to be on equal ground with the ‘Birds as they matched the them point-for-point at the start of the first set — but then the ‘Birds opened up a six-point lead and then extended that lead to 24-14 at set point. A ferocious kill from fifth-year Alissa Coulter, assisted by setter Alessandra Gentile, ended the first set.
The second set of the game started off scrappily with points given mostly for errors, but then two aces from left-side attacker Danielle Brisebois gave the T-Birds a 4-1 lead. Unrelentingly, the Bisons doubled down on their defense and closed the gap within one point of the ‘Birds. UBC then went on a four point scoring spree and pushed their lead up to eight points at 24-16 at set-point. Manitoba rallied to 24-19 in attempt to catch up with the Thunderbirds with a kill from Manitoba attacker Tori Studler and two aces from Lexi Janovcik. However, the rally was dampened by an attack error and the Thunderbirds took the set at 25- 19.
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A five-point spree in the third set, supplemented by two service aces from third-year Gentile, pushed the T-Birds away from a 1-1 tie to a 4-1 lead. A kill from left side Laura MacTaggart then put them at 5-1. The Bisons replied and with three points to close the Birds at 6-4. But the ‘Birds suddenly surged forward, winning six of the next seven points and securing the Thunderbird lead at 11-5. The ‘Birds extended that lead to 22-13, won the next three points and finished the game with set-point at 25-13.
The T-Birds then rode that momentum into their second game, which was more strongly contested and allowed them the second game in three straight sets. Final set scores were 25-21, 25-14 and 25-16.
Saturday night's rematch was an opportunity for Manitoba to get back at the T-Birds and take one game for the road. But the ‘Birds pulled through and took the game in three sets.
In the start of the first set, the T-Birds left the Bisons behind at a score of 6-1. The Bisons managed to creep closely behind the ‘Birds, closing the lead that the T-Birds had to 9-6. The 'Birds flew ahead once again, scoring seven out of the next nine points to put the game squarely at 16-8 and nearly doubling Manitoba's score before the second timeout was called. The T-Birds managed to keep the Bisons at bay, maintaining at least a three point lead.
The T-Birds cut it close though — edging the finish line at 23-17, they let off the gas. The Bisons went on a four point scoring spree and closed the gap to 23-20. Two final kills by Brisebois, assisted by Gentile, polished off the set with a final score of 25-21.
A far more comfortable Thunderbird team took the last two sets of the game.
The ‘Birds outperformed Manitoba in the second set, once again surging ahead and leaving the Bisons trailing behind. For every point the Bisons made, the ‘Birds scored two or more. The Bisons could not hold back the strong T-Bird advance and eventually, the T-Birds took the set after an attack error by Bisons attacker Sarah Klassen.
A bad start for the T-Birds in the third set and a real nail biter for the home crowd, the Bisons got the lead on the Thunderbirds. Manitoba middle Sarah Klassen capitalized on T-Bird errors early in the set to put Manitoba ahead for a score at 5-3. Suddenly, the 'Birds bounced back with a four point scoring spree, putting them ahead of Manitoba for the first time in the set at 7-5. The Bisons held off the T-Bird advance to 15-4, but a seven point scoring run secured the ‘Birds' lead at 22-15 and then a final kill by Brisebois sealed the deal.
It was a favourable start for the Thunderbirds and the team looks strong enough to be a top contender in Canada once again.
“There are things to work on ... Manitoba won’t be one of the top teams in the league, so we still got to keep getting better, but it was a very good start," said Reimer. “I think our team play in general was better — definitely better than the first half of last year, so I’m encouraged."
The ‘Birds will be spending the upcoming weekend on the road, facing off against the University of Regina Cougars for two back to back games.