UBC Okanagan Heat Athletics Scoreboard

Nyhus honoured, Heat defuse Chargers

Friday February 4, 2011

UBC Okanagan Gym - Kelowna BC

UBC Okanagan Heat (12-1) take down the Camosun College Chargers (4-8) in 3 straight sets.

(25-12, 25-12, 25-21)

·         Kirsten Lawson named the Landmark Cinema - Eastside Mario’s Heat Player of the Game

KELOWNA, BC – It was a night of reminiscing and celebration on Friday as the Women’s Volleyball team matched up against the Camosun College Chargers.  It was Senior’s Night, a special event held annually to recognize the work and accomplishment of senior athletes who are graduating and completing their final year of eligibility.  The team’s lone graduate, starting Setter Caitlin Nyhus, is also only one of two graduates amongst all Heat varsity athletes this year (the other is Jenna Kantz of the Women’s Basketball team).  The girls’ night ended on a good note when they cruised to a 3-0 sweep of the Chargers, putting the proverbial icing on the cake. 

Nyhus finished the match with 24 assists, 3 aces, 4 digs and 1 kill.  Kirsten Lawson was named the Eastside Marios/Landmark Cinema’s Player of the Game, finishing with 2 kills, 4 digs and 2 blocks, playing a consistent defensive game that kept the Chargers out of range for most of the match.

All the three sets were back-and-forth, point-for-point battles until around the 12-13 point mark, where the Heat offense would overwhelm the stalwart defense of the Chargers.  Both the 1^st and 2^nd sets were won 25-12.  The Chargers wouldn’t go out quietly though, putting up enough fight to keep things interesting in the 3^rd set, being down 20-14 at one point but rallying to fight back to within 3 at 23-20. They couldn’t hold on though as the Heat clinched the set and the match 25-21.

It was the perfect ending to a heavily emotional night for the team, and in particular for Caitlin.  “She is the most successful player…in the history of the BCCAA,” affirmed her Head Coach, Steve Manuel, who’s overseen her progression as a player through her collegiate career that garnered accolades including back-to-back National Championships, a Nationals Bronze Medal, two Provincial Championships and two Provincial Silver Medals.  It is fair to say that Caitlin has been an instrumental part in the development of an impressive UBC Okanagan Athletics legacy over its still young life.  Prior to the game, Coach Manuel gave a brief but heartfelt speech regarding his five years with Caitlin and presented her with a gift-package, exchanging hugs.

4^th year player Kirsten Lawson definitely felt for her teammate, expressing that she felt she’d be “crying even more when it’s me next year.  She’s my roommate, so we’ve been talking a lot.  She played all her 5 years here, which is pretty unusual.”

“When you put things into perspective… [she’s] been our starting setter for half a decade,” observed Coach Manuel.  “It’s the end of an era in a lot of ways.”

Having won their match with Camosun, it’s down to the wire for top seed heading into the playoffs between the Heat and the Vancouver Island University Mariners, whom the Heat are slated to play Saturday night at home in their last league game of the season.  It’s going to be a grudge match between two rivals, but the Heat are focused on their goals.  “We just need to play our game,” Lawson commented in regard to their matchup with VIU.  “We just need to play good defense and worry about our side of the net.”

The big game happens Saturday night at 6:00pm at the UBC Okanagan gymnasium.