Box Score

Desiree Ates (pictured) set a new Canada West single-season kills mark and Leah Shevkenek set a new conference single-season assists record as the Cougars pulled out a five-set road win over No. 6-ranked UBC Okanagan on Saturday night in Kelowna, B.C.

Ates had another 26 kills in Saturday's win, giving the fifth-year outside hitter 347 for the season – a total which eclipses the previous conference record of 344 set by Winnipeg's Nicola Dirks in 2006-07. Shevkenek finishes the season with 860 assists, breaking the previous mark of 842 which was set by Calgary's Natalie Schwartz (2004-05).

The Cougars hit .464 in a big 25-16 win in the first to open Saturday's match, only to have UBC Okanagan reply with a 25-23 win in the second. The Cougars came back with a 25-23 win in the third set and were poised to put the match away in four after holding a late 23-19 lead, but the Heat scored five of the set's final seven points to force a fifth.

UBC Okanagan led 8-6 at the side switch in the deciding set, but it was all Cougars from there. The U of R scored nine of the final 10 points, with the match ending on a Chelsea Ziolkowski service ace for the second consecutive night.

Besides Ates' 26 kills, the Cougars also got 12 kills from Michelle Sweeting and 10 from Ziolkowski. Megan Semeniuk had 19 digs, while both Ates and Tori Glynn were just behind with 18. Ziolkowski added 11 digs and Shevkenek finished the match with 45 assists and 10 digs as both players joined Ates with double-doubles.

Megan Festival led UBC Okanagan with 14 kills.

While the Cougars and UBC Okanagan both finish the season with a 12-10 record, Regina grabs sixth place ahead of the Heat based on sets won/sets lost differential. Alberta could also finish with a 12-10 record, but the Pandas hold the tiebreaker over both Regina and UBC Okanagan.

The Cougars will take on No. 3-seeded Trinity Western next weekend in a best-of-three conference quarterfinal series beginning on Thursday in Langley, B.C. It will mark the fourth time in the last nine seasons that these two teams have met in the Canada West quarterfinals.