The UBC Okanagan (UBCO) Heat women's volleyball team pushed the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds to the limit but fell just short during a matchup on the weekend (Jan. 10-11).

The match ended with scores of 25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 25-18, and 15-12. The Heat handed the Thunderbirds just their third and fourth set losses of the season. Olivia Boulding racked up 17.5 points with 15 kills for UBCO. Kylan Finseth dished out 37 assists, while Amaya Perry had 19 digs and added 12 kills. Natalie Funk had a career-high 15 kills finishing with 16 points.

"I'm very proud of how our Heat student-athletes bounced back tonight," Heat head coach Steve Manuel said after the game. "The rust of the long break with no training or competition really showed on Friday night. But they dug deep and battled tonight, we just came up a bit short in the end.鈥�

The loss drops the Heat to 4-8 on the season, while UBC stays unbeaten at 12-0. Next up for the Heat is their annual Pride Night on Friday, Jan. 17, when they host the Manitoba Bisons (8-4). First serve is at 7 p.m., and tickets are available at the door.

The UBCO men鈥檚 volleyball team also battled hard but fell short against the No. 7-ranked UBC Thunderbirds in a four-set loss Saturday. The match ended 15-25, 25-22, 15-25, and 22-25 in front of 150 fans at UBCO Gymnasium.

Zach Van Geel matched his season-high with 41 assists. Sam Jablonski had a career game with 12 kills, earning player of the game honours. Seba Manuel led the defence with 10 digs and added 11.5 points. At the net, Thys Weststrate continued to dominate with four blocks, keeping his spot as the conference leader in blocks per set.

The loss drops the Heat to 6-6, tying them for sixth in the conference with the Manitoba Bisons. UBC improves to 9-3. The Heat will face the Bisons in a doubleheader next weekend, starting Friday, Jan. First serve is at 5 p.m.