VANCOUVER – Winners of four straight, the UBC Thunderbirds (5-3) will aim to continue their strong run of play against the rested Thompson Rivers University WolfPack (1-5) this weekend at War Memorial Gym. Game one of the Canada West series is a rare 11:30 a.m. PT start on Friday, November 22 for an afternoon tilt, while game two goes Saturday, November 23 at 6:30 p.m. PT.
UBC’s dynamic offence is now tops in the Canada West with an average 12.67 kills per set, 11.83 assists per set and 2.47 service aces per set. The T-Birds also average the second most points per set with 16.9, while the WolfPack are tops in the conference with 10.04 digs per set.
After a bit of a slow start to their season, the T-Birds are rounding into form and are coming off a dominant sweep over the Calgary Dinos (5-3). This upcoming weekend marks the end of a lengthy homestand for the ‘Birds who will play their following three straight series on the road.
Last Action
The Thunderbirds cruised to a pair of 3-0 victories over the Dinos at War Memorial Gym last weekend with a balanced attack and a commanding serving performance. UBC served up 19 total aces to Calgary’s two aces over the six sets of action while hitting over .400 in both matches. Coltyn Liu totaled 15 kills and seven aces with five blocks, Matt Neaves put up 20 kills with five digs, and Gerard Murray added 15 kills with three aces and seven blocks over the weekend.
TRU was on a bye last week, but split their most recent series with the Alberta Golden Bears (6-2) on home court. The WolfPack earned their first victory of the season, 3-1, before dropping the following match 3-0.
Coach’s Take
UBC head coach Michael Hawkins is pleased with his team’s progress to date after an impressive showing in front of their home fans.
“I’ve been impressed at the way we bounced back off a sub-par start and have really started playing as a cohesive team,” said Hawkins. “It’s been a point of emphasis during and I think it’s been a catalyst for our strong play. We have continued to grow and develop every training session, in regards to our team systems and individual skills, and that’s been evident by our steady improvement in matches.”
Hawkins says that his team will be prepped and ready to roll for their matinee matchup on Friday.
“Luckily for us, we train two out of four days a week around this time, so it won’t be much of a time adjustment,” said Hawkins. “We expect a great battle out of an always-gritty WolfPack team that will be playing with a lot of urgency to get some results and turn their first semester around. They’re coming off a bye and will be giving it their all to get some wins, so we have to match their intensity and desire. They’re a physical team that depend on their strong serving and block defence, so it will be like a heavyweight boxing match with two teams hitting haymakers rather than jabs.”
[SOURCE: UBC]