Heat fall short in bid for nationals
UBCO women’s volleyball team finishes 4th in Canada West
Needing a win to advance to another National Championship, the UBC Okanagan women’s volleyball team came up short against the two-time defending Canada West champion Trinity Western Spartans on Saturday night in the Canada West bronze medal match in Edmonton.
With the 25-13, 25-20, 25-20 win, the Spartans earned yet another Canada West medal.
UBCO was led by Kaitlynn Given, who had a team-high eight kills. Canada West all-rookie team member and Edmonton product Sara McCreary finished with a team-high 20 assists while Michelle Jakszuk finished with a game-high 13 digs.
After winning a national bronze and a Canada West silver medal last year, UBCO was not able to replicate their success this time around.
Saturday’s match was the last in a Heat uniform for three players: Calgary native Megan Festival, Kelowna native Given and West Vancouver native Emily Oxland.
Oxland, the school’s all-time leader in assists, did not play due to injury.
“There was never an excuse from any of them,” said Heat head coach Steve Manuel. “The entire team did something no other team here had to do and they gave it all they had with no excuses.”
Explaining the toughness and heart of his team, Manuel outlined how his players had been on the road for seven out of the previous 10 days — playing matches on five of those days — a grueling schedule that no other team at the Final Four had to deal with. The Heat also battled injuries. The previous weekend in Calgary, leading scorer Siobhan Fitzpatrick rolled an ankle, and Oxland did not finish that match and was unable to play in Edmonton.
Manuel kept referencing how proud he was of his team and how they battled, that they never quit and it was outstanding to see the veterans and the young players to step up.
The veteran coach also made a point of how strong the competition was in Canada West — and at the championship in particular.
“That being said we were at a championship that featured three teams that all have outstanding chances at earning national medals, and all those teams were playing great volleyball at the Final Four,” he said. “I wish them the best of luck at the U Sports national championship.”