KELOWNA, B.C. – It was textbook work put in by the No. 4 UBC Okanagan Heat women's volleyball team at home Saturday, October 25 night when they swept the match and weekend versus the defending CIS champion Manitoba Bisons in straight sets (25-17, 25-15, 25-15).

The home team put their foot on the gas right from the get go and Manitoba had a hard time staying on balance for the entirety of the match. Excellent offensive pressure by the Heat created non-ideal scoring opportunities for the Bisons, which in turn made the Heat defense able to put in work to shut down most things offensively for their opponents.

With matters fairly close in the first set, a 16-14 edge for the Heat heading into timeout was hardly a decisive one. However, a 9-3 run to close out the first set started the engine of the Heat freight train for the remainder of the match.

Though Manitoba would cool the intensely hot Heat offense in the first frame (16 kills on a team .406) back down to earth in the second and third set (roughly in half), the Bisons just could not crack the impenetrable wall of the Heat defense. UBC Okanagan recorded 18 block assists while the back row denied virtually everything else en route to a team 43 digs.

Not one to back down from the situation, Bisons captain and the league's leader in kills in Rachel Cockrell still tried to put her team on her shoulders, pushing herself to the top shelf with a semi-efficient game-high of 13 kills on the night.

By the final whistle, Manitoba had a conversion rate of .044 for the night, while three Heat players posted over .500 numbers in that category.

Heat coach Steve Manuel opted to start fourth-year Chandler Proch at setter over the previous night's starter in sophomore Emily Oxland, a move that would not disappoint as Proch went for 23 assists, three kills and seven digs.

Once again fourth year outside hitter Brianna Beamish led all Heat attackers with 10 kills for the night, and middle Katy Klomps, honoured prior to match with the prestigious Ray Lepp Scholarship from Volleyball, BC, had seven kills in 11 attempts on Saturday with no errors, a .636 percentage. She also had five blocks in the three set win.

Manitoba's Jordana Milne would follow behind Cockrell with seven kills, while the team's other co-captain in Brittany Habing would wrap up with 22 assists and seven digs.

The Heat stay above water with a 4-2 record after three weekends into their fourth Canada West season. The Bisons meanwhile drop to 2-4.

Both teams are on the road next weekend in the Lower Mainland. UBC Okanagan will head to the UBC Thunderbirds for a back-to-back at War Memorial, Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. Manitoba will visit the No. 2 Trinity Western Spartans Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m.

Stream the action from home and view live stats at canadawest.tv.