VANCOUVER — The Winnipeg Wesmen suffered a blow to their playoff aspirations Friday night, but all hope is not lost.
The Wesmen men's volleyball team got off to an early lead but watched as the UBC Thunderbirds stormed back to take a 3-1 (15-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-20) Canada West conference victory at War Memorial Gymnasium.
The loss put the Wesmen at 8-13 on the season and in a three-way tie for eighth with Thompson Rivers and Manitoba for the final playoff spot. The Bisons defeated Fraser Valley Friday night, while the Wolfpack lost to Trinity Western. The three teams are vying for the last spot with three matches each to play.
Nigel Nielsen and
Liam Kristjanson both had 13 kills to lead the Wesmen, who hit .248 for the night, including .478 in a dominant first set. Kristjanson also had two aces.
Eric Dornez added nine kills.
The Wesmen were only able to muster eight block assists on the night, while the Thunderbirds (12-9) had 16 with one solo.
Matt Neaves led the T-Birds with 18 kills, two aces and five block assists. Michael Dowhaniuk 11 kills and a match-high eight digs.
UBC hit .349 for the match.
The two teams meet again Saturday (8:45 p.m. CT) in a match that can be seen live on
Canada West TV.
