VANCOUVER - Despite a pair of losses last weekend, both in five sets to undefeated Calgary, the UBC Thunderbirds (4-8) are still in the thick of the Canada West playoff race. They host the Brandon Bobcats (4-6) in crucial series this weekend as both squads are looking to solidify their spot in the post-season.
A look at the Thunderbirds
Despite routinely pushing Canada West's best teams to the limit this season, the T-Birds have been unable to convert those impressive showings into wins. As a result, they will be fighting hard to secure their playoff spot for the remainder of the regular season. Last week they took the defending CIS champion Calgary Dinos to five sets twice, but came up short both times, falling to 4-8 on the year. In their six meetings with the top three Canada West teams this year (Calgary, Manitoba, and Alberta), the T-Birds have won 10 sets but have not won a match.
Demijan Savija leads the 'Birds with 3.30 kills per game, and although he put up 33 kills in the Calgary series, it was first-year
Ben Chow who nearly stole the show, pacing his team to a 2-0 lead with a match-high 23 kills on Saturday before the Dinos came charging back to win in five sets. The rookie outside hitter has shown the ability to take over a match despite his inexperience, as he is nearly even with
Milo Warren for second on the team with just under three kills per game.
While some new blood works its way into the offensive rotation for the T-Birds, fifth-year libero
Blair Bann remains the unquestioned leader of the squad and it's best defensive player. He may need to start clearing space in his trophy cabinet for yet another libero of the year award, as he is nearly a full dig ahead of second place on the conference digs leaderboard, averaging just under four per game.
A look at the Bobcats
The Bobcats are coming off a huge sweep of Thompson Rivers that saw them leapfrog the WolfPack into a playoff spot. They still have to hold onto that spot for four weeks to make any use of it, but their remaining schedule certainly favours their chances of seeing the postseason, as they play three of their final four series against below-.500 teams.
Reigning CIS Player of the Year Paul Sanderson is having another incredible campaign, averaging 5.43 kills per game while only one other player in the conference averages more than four. He is managing to stay efficient despite the high volume of touches he gets, as his .322 hitting percentage is good for seventh in the conference, and he can play a little defence, ranking second on the Bobcats in digs.
But if you want to talk offensive efficiency, look no further than 6-foot-9 senior Jonathan Sloane. The big man in the middle is second on the team in kills while leading the conference with a staggering .484 hitting percentage. Fellow senior Kyle Dellezay deserves some credit for keeping two of the most dangerous attackers in the conference well-fed. The Bobcats setter is fourth in Canada West with just under 10 assists per game.
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