After a slow start to the season with just a win in their first six matches, the UBC Okanagan Heat have found a little traction in Canada West men’s volleyball.
The visiting Heat swept a pair of matches from the University of Regina Cougars over the weekend to boost their conference record to 3-5.
On Friday night, UBCO prevailed in four sets (25-16, 29-31, 25-18, 25-22).
Devon Cote had a match-high 16 kills for the Heat.
Josh Harvey had 14 kills and all players with a .455 hitting percentage, while Lars Bornemann chipped in with 13 kills.
Harvey was also strong at the net with eight blocks, while Bornemann added nine digs.
Third-year setter Jon Russo piled up 41 assists, while libero Eli Risso had 10 digs and Kyle Hinchey had six kills and five blocks to go along with nine digs.
On Saturday, UBCO spotted the Cougars the first set, before bouncing back to win the next three (21-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-19.)
Harvey put down 11 kills and hit .600, while Alex Swiatlowski nine kills on 10 attacks to finish with a match-leading .900 hitting percentage. Harvey added nine blocks in the win.
Bornemann had a match-high 13 kills for UBCO, while Hinchey added 11 kills and eight digs. Russo collected 45 assists and six digs, while libero Risso led all players with 13 digs.
The Heat will host their final matches before the Christmas break, this Friday and Saturday at the Kelowna campus gym vs the Calgary Dinos.
Heat women 7-1…
With Emily Oxland and Megan Festival both making Canada West history, the UBC Okanagan women bounced back from their lone defeat of the season a week earlier, with a clean sweep of the University of Regina Cougars.
On Friday, the No. 5 ranked Heat rolled past the Cougars 25-12, 25-10 and 26-14.
Coming into the match there was a three-way tie for the career conference record in service aces between Emily Oxland, Megan Festival and Shanlee McLennan, a former Brandon Bobcat.
Oxland finished the match with two aces to set the record at 140. Festival, now chasing Oxland for the record, closed out the match with her only ace on the night.
Oxland finished the weekend with 142 career aces, Festival with 139.
Kaitlynn Given had nine kills to lead all players and also had a match-high .615 hitting percentage for UBC Okanagan/ Michelle Jakszuk added eight kills and four aces for the Heat, while Festival finished with six kills and a team-high nine digs.
On Saturday, the Heat swept to another 3-0 win (25-23, 25-18, 25-22).
Siobhan Fitzpatrick didn’t play Friday, but got the start for UBC Okanagan on Saturday and led all players with 14 kills.
Kaitlynn Given had 10 kills and hit .643, while Aidan Lea came off the bench to collect eight kills and a .583 hitting percentage. Michelle Jakszuk had eight kills and nine digs.
The Heat (7-1) will wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule this weekend against the University of Calgary, also 7-1, with matches Friday and Saturday at UBCO.