VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds return home to face a dangerous Brandon Bobcats team after splitting in Calgary last weekend and are looking to find their groove as they navigate the final six games of their regular season.
A look at the Thunderbirds
Considering all the obstacles the T-Birds had to overcome in the first half of the year, it was a bit surprising to see the three-time defending national champions' nine-game win streak come to an end at the hands of a 6-4 Calgary team last week, just when things were supposed to be getting easier. After playing lights-out volleyball for most of the year without arguably their two best players, the 'Birds finally got All-Canadians
Jen Hinze and
Kyla Richey back from the national team last week, but after surviving a five-set scare in their first match against the Dinos, they dropped another five-setter in match two.
But at 9-3 on the year and with the full roster finally available to head coach
Doug Reimer, one loss is hardly something to panic about for this team. They already have a playoff spot locked up, and finishing first overall is still not out of the question if they can sweep Brandon this weekend and keep the pressure on conference leaders TWU.
Richey has already made her presence felt, leading the team in kills for both matches in her first week back. Hinze has proven her ability to be a force on the attack in previous seasons too, so the last thing the T-Birds need to worry about is finding someone to put up points. With two All-Canadians joining a lineup that already features Canada West kills leader
Shanice Marcelle and rookie sensation
Lisa Barclay, who is also working her way up the kills leaderboard, the biggest challenge might be setter
Brina Derksen-Bergen figuring out who to give he ball to. Fortunately for her squad, she should be as well-prepared for the task as anyone, as she leads the conference in assists with 9.79 per game.
A look at the Bobcats
A pair of relatively easy wins against the 0-10 Thompson Rivers WolfPack last week gave the Bobcats a much-needed boost in the standings, moving them up to 7-3 on the year. While the playoffs appear to be a lock for this team, the standings are so jam-packed in the top six spots that one game could be the difference between finishing with the second or sixth playoff seed, meaning every game will be a crucial one for the balance of the regular season.
Like the T-Birds, the Bobcats have an abundance of weapons to attack with. Four players average between two and three kills per game, with Teagen Hunter setting the pace at 2.95 per game. She also leads the team with just over three digs per game. Fellow outside hitters Sara Grona and Jaryn Ruether are also well-rounded talents, each averaging better than two kills and two digs per game. Ruether is coming off a big weekend in which she averaged nearly four kills per game and hit .478 in the second match.
Middle Meaghan Robertson is the fourth Bobcat with at least two kills per game, as she checks in at 2.57. She also leads the team with a .289 attacking percentage and 0.85 blocks per game.
-30-
