VANCOUVER -- The Manitoba Bisons handed the UBC Thunderbirds just their second loss of the men's volleyball season with a 3-2 (25-15, 25-23, 23-25, 13-25, 15-13) victory at War Memorial Gym - snapping a six-game home winning streak for the 'Birds. Manitoba jumped out to a two-set lead, but Canada's No. 2 ranked T-Birds fought back to force a fifth set. With the victory, the 10th-ranked Bisons improve to 6-7 on the season.

Adam DeJonckheere had 12 kills to lead the victors, while Kevin Negus had 10. Brendan Warren was a force at the net, earning seven block assists. Dylan Sutherland had 25 assists.

The visiting team was too much to handle in the first set with a decisive 25-15 win. The T-Birds closed their early deficit to 9-7, but the visitors quickly replied with three straight points, a run capped off by a Sutherland ace. DeJonckheere had three kills down the stretch, with the last sparking a 4-0 run to finish off the set.

Keith West smacked his fourth kill to put the 'Birds up 15-12 in the second, but Manitoba clawed their way back to 22-22. The Bisons then took their first lead of the set on a Negus ace en route to a 25-23 second-set victory, as the team earned four of the last five points.

UBC opened the third with a Fynn McCarthy kill and a big Irvan Brar block, but the Bisons went on a five-point run to make it 6-3. Tied at 8-8, UBC briefly retook the lead on a nifty tip by Brar before Manitoba ignited another five-point streak. The 'Birds gained a 19-18 edge on a Bisons error and West blasted a kill to even it up at 20-20. Four consecutive service errors by both teams knotted it up at 23-23, and Keturakis dropped a kill for a set point. The starting setter then placed it on a platter for Brar to put away the third set on his fifth kill.

The home squad carried their third set momentum into the fourth and held a 16-9 advantage at the break before their offence flourished to a 25-13 win.

Joel Regehr went on a tear to open the fifth with three kills and the battle continued in the deciding set. Scott Vercaigne smoked an ace to give his Bisons a 10-7 lead before the 'Birds responded with a Brar kill and a Matt Sentema-Regehr block party to make it a one-point game. UBC fought off two match points before and Vercaigne put away the match with his team-high sixth kill.

The Lethbridge, Alta., product, West, led the 'Birds with 15 kills and and added five digs in the loss. The Thunderbirds racked up 24 serving errors and an uncharacteristically low four aces. Manitoba made 12 fewer attacking errors and totalled 17 blocks on the night.

UBC and Manitoba take to the floor at War Memorial Gym for their rematch on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 6:30 p.m. PT.