VANCOUVER – The host UBC Thunderbirds got here from behind to upset the No. 6 Manitoba Bisons 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-14) in an electrifying semi-final showdown on the 2023 U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Championship inside War Memorial Gym. With the win, the No. 7-seeded T-Birds will play for his or her 13^th nationwide title on dwelling courtroom in opposition to the defending champion No. 1 Trinity Western Spartans on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific).
 

WVB | The ‘Birds have been on fireplace tonight because the obtained a MASSIVE 3-1 win over @bisonswvb! @ubcwvb1 have booked their ticket to the @USPORTS_VBall Women’s National Finals tomorrow at 4:30!#GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/4aybSoGUOj

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) March 19, 2023

Cara Kovacs got here up with an enormous solo block for a slim 5-3 UBC lead within the first set and Elise Petit joined the block get together with one in all her personal at 7-3. The Bisons bounced again to even the rating at 11-11 with an Ella Gray kill that pressured a T-Bird timeout and Manitoba pulled away with a late 5-0 run to assist safe the opening set. Setter Kayla Oxland lifted the ‘Birds to a 13-6 lead within the second with back-to-back kills, as the house workforce carried a 19-9 cushion by means of to a set victory. Brynn Pasin put the Thunderbirds up 16–14 within the third and a pair of Jayde Robertsen aces prolonged their result in 23-16 en path to a 3rd set win. The hosts continued to construct momentum all through the fourth and led 21-14 after a Robertsen kill late within the set – getting the group on their toes for the ultimate few factors of the upset win.

“This is just tremendous,” mentioned very long time UBC head coach Doug Reimer. “Just so much credit to our group in putting together two straight night’s were we dropped the first set then coming back and playing some really good volleyball, I think just how much work the team committed to over the last few weeks. The group has really done so much work over the last few months to become more connected and working together and it’s almost the same within a match I mean we started really well but Manitoba took it to us in that first set and we didn’t execute well enough and we’re like ok that’s a really good team. It was a great overall team effort that included some outstanding individual performances and I thought Jayde Robertsen and Kacey Jost really anchored that among others with their serving and passing respectively but even to be able to maintain composure when it’s not going perfect, everybody pushing together as a group and it was a special night in the end.”

 

Robertsen had a standout 14 kills, seven blocks, and 4 aces for the Thunderbirds, Erika Vermette put up seven kills with three aces and 11 digs, and Petit recorded eight kills and 6 blocks within the victory. Rookie Raya Surinx racked up 14 kills with two aces and 13 digs for the Bisons, as Ella Gray added 10 kills and 7 digs within the loss.

The ambiance was simply superior, electrical,” continued Reimer reflecting on the energetic crowd of over 1,500 fans fueling the blue and gold inside War Memorial Gym. “Players have been undoubtedly thriving off of it and it was such an pleasurable sporting expertise for the followers however we wanted to remain dialed in all through, that mentioned I have to admit I did search for once we had 24 within the fourth-set, I seemed up and mentioned that is fairly cool.”

 

Manitoba will tackle the No. 5 Dalhousie Tigers within the bronze medal match at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific) Sunday inside War Memorial Gym.

“They’re champions for a reason,” concluded Reimer when requested about Sunday’s title matchup with No. 1 seed Trinity Western Spartans. “They won Canada West, they’re the steadiest team, we’re just going to have to bring a lot of the same energy and execution we’ve showed over the last couple of days and I think for the last match of the year I’d be surprised if we weren’t recovered and ready to go.”

 

Mikasa Players of the Game