The Bisons women’s volleyball team again faced the UBC Thunderbirds on Sunday, Oct. 26 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, and the match ended in a 3-2 win for the Bisons. The two teams battled it out for nearly three hours before the Bisons finally won in an extra-long five sets (25-19, 20-25, 26-24, 21-25, 20-18).
The first set saw the Bisons more efficient, with the herd hitting a rate of .235 against the Thunderbirds’ .154. The Bisons maintained cleaner offence and stronger ball control, committing fewer attack errors. Their steadier side-out percentage allowed them to pull ahead late and close the frame 25–19.
The second set had the Thunderbirds produce their most efficient set of the game, posting a .366 hitting percentage with 19 kills. Their attack had improved sharply which the herd could not contain. The Thunderbirds had evened the match with a set score of 25-20.
In set three, both teams were under pressure as no one had the lead. This set featured balanced scoring, but the herd had fewer errors. This allowed the Bisons to snatch the win 26-24 in extra points.
The fourth set saw the herd not do so well offensively, as they were only able to get five kills whereas the Thunderbirds had 16 kills. Despite nine errors by the Thunderbirds, they were able to win the set 25-21.
In the final set, Bisons clinched the win 20-18 with 13 kills and only three errors. This set had the Bisons executing at their highest efficiency (.323).
For the herd, Raya Surinx and Elia Falcone were incredible. Surinx was terrific both on the offence with 21 kills and on the defence with 14 digs. Elia Falcone also shone with 40 assists and nine digs. For the Thunderbirds, Lucy Borowski and Aimee Skinner stood out. Borowski had 23 kills while Skinner had 18 kills and 19 digs. Overall, the Thunderbirds may have won in terms of kills (72), but they gave up 23 service errors, while the herd’s serving and blocking dominance (24 Block Assist) countered that firepower.
The Bisons women’s volleyball team will face the Calgary Dinos on Thursday, Oct. 30 and Friday, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. CT at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
