#6 Bison men's volleyball lose in five sets, surrender Game 1 to #8 UBC in playoff action at home

Both teams square up again on Sat., Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. CT for game two of conference quarterfinal series

Box Score WINNIPEG, MB - With a raucous home crowd behind them at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, the #6 Bison men's volleyball team gave the #8 UBC Thunderbirds everything they had in the first game of their best-of-three Canada West Quarter Final series on Friday, February 13.

As you could expect from the conference's #4 and #5 seeds, this one was evenly matched - and a classic - one that the Thunderbirds were able to rally in and win in five sets (25-14, 22-25, 22-25, 25-14, 15-10).

"That type of match is exactly what I expected and what I pegged going in here worried about - they have a pretty decent bench and some options there," said Bison head coach Garth Pischke. "We played our hearts out and came up a little bit short."

"Every time we made a good play, we'd come back and miss a serve and I think that hurt us psychologically and took its toll on us."

Manitoba was led by Devren Dear, who had a match-high 23 kills. Adam DeJonckheere chipped in 17 - the combination of those two had 40 of the team's 61 kills.

UBC won the team blocking battle 16 to 9. Quentin Schmidt led the Thunderbirds in kills with 19, with Ben Chow right behind him at 18.

UBC will look to finish the series tomorrow night, when the two teams meet again at the Investors Group Athletic Centre at 7 p.m. CST.

The Thunderbirds came out strong in the first set, with fifth-year Quentin Schmidt providing a veteran presence with six kills from the left side. The Bisons block responded, though, in a rousing second and third. Late in the second set at 23-22, Adam DeJonckheere made a remarkable dig of the floor, keeping a key rally alive that ended in Manitoba earning set point. The crowd responded and Ken Rooney knocked down the set winner.

That momentum carried in the third, where Nick Stewner came off the Bisons bench at 19-19 to get three service points. He then watched DeJonckheere assert himself again, bringing Manitoba to the brink of a win.

UBC proceeded, though, to turn the whole thing around in the fourth set. Schmidt showed supremacy behind the service line while Alex Russell formed a one-man wall at the net. Their lead built early and quickly, carrying the match to a decisive fifth.

In that fifth, Manitoba hung around early, but it was the depth of the Thunderbirds that came into play. Jarrid Ireland came off the bench for key points to build the UBC lead and Mat Guidi served to close it out.

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