OTTAWA (CIS) – The three-time defending gold medallist University of British Columbia Thunderbirds have been established favourite to four-peat as CIS women's volleyball champions.
Championship Website
The seeding was announced Monday for the 2011 CIS championship set to get under way on Friday at Laval University in Quebec City. The final of the eight-team tournament is scheduled for Sunday at 4:30 p.m. All 11 matches from the event will be webcast live.
The Thunderbirds are ranked No. 1 going into the national tourney for the second year in a row following a five-set victory over the Trinity Western Spartans in the Canada West title match, on Saturday night.
Rounding out the seeding are Trinity Western at No. 2, followed by the No. 3 Laval Rouge et Or (Quebec champions), No. 4 Alberta Pandas (Canada West bronze medallists), No. 5 Montreal Carabins (Quebec finalists), No. 6 New Brunswick Varsity Reds (AUS champions), No. 7 Western Ontario Mustangs (OUA champions), and No. 8 Sherbrooke Vert & Or (Quebec bronze medallists).
UBC begins its title defence against Sherbrooke Friday at noon in the very first match of the championship. The other quarter-final duels pit Alberta against Montreal at 2 p.m., Trinity Western versus Western Ontario at 6 p.m., and host Laval against UNB at 8 p.m.
The top-ranked T-Birds, who triumphed as the No. 1 seed in Edmonton a year ago, as No. 2 in 2009 in Fredericton and as No. 4 in 2008, also in Fredericton, are hoping to set a record for most CIS women's volleyball titles in history.
UBC currently shares the all-time mark of seven with Alberta and Winnipeg, who coincidently are also the only schools to win at least four consecutive crowns. They both captured six banners in a row, Alberta from 1995 to 2000 and Winnipeg 1983 to 1988.
Note: A complete championship preview will follow on Tuesday.
SEEDINGS
1. UBC Thunderbirds (CWUAA champions: 15-3 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
2. Trinity Western Spartans (CWUAA finalists: 15-3 regular season / 3-1 playoffs)
3. Laval Rouge et Or (RSEQ champions: 17-3 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
4. Alberta Pandas (CWUAA bronze medallists: 11-7 regular season / 3-1 playoffs)
5. Montreal Carabins (RSEQ finalists: 17-3 regular season / 2-2 playoffs)
6. UNB Varsity Reds (AUS champions: 11-7 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
7. Western Ontario Mustangs (OUA champions: 15-4 regular season / 3-0 playoffs)
8. Sherbrooke Vert & Or (RSEQ bronze medallists: 5-15 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Wednesday, March 2
18:30 All-Canadian Awards Banquet
Thursday, March 3
12:00 – 21:00 Team practices
Friday, March 4
12:00 Quarter-final #1: No. 1 UBC vs. No. 8 Sherbrooke
14:00 Quarter-final #2: No. 4 Alberta vs. No. 5 Montreal
18:00 Quarter-final #3: No. 2 Trinity Western vs. No. 7 Western Ontario
20:00 Quarter-final #4: No. 3 Laval vs. No. 6 UNB
Saturday, March 5
12:00 Consolation #1: Loser quarter-final #1 vs. Loser quarter-final #2
14:00 Consolation #2: Loser quarter-final #3 vs. Loser quarter-final #4
18:00 Semifinal #1: Winner quarter-final #1 vs. Winner quarter-final #2
20:00 Semifinal #2: Winner quarter-final #3 vs. Winner quarter-final #4
Sunday, March 6
11:00 5th place
13:00 Bronze medal
16:30 Championship final
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