VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds locked up a playoff spot with a sweep at home last week, and now they hit the road in pursuit of home court advantage for round one. This week they take on another team looking to secure its postseason future in the 10-8 Brandon Bobcats. Both games will be live-streamed at
CanadaWest.tv. Also of note, UBC head coach
Richard Schick returns to his hometown this weekend.
GAME TIMES (Pacific)
Friday, Feb. 1
6 p.m. - No. 1 UBC at Brandon
Saturday, Feb. 2
5 p.m. - No. 1 UBC at Brandon
No. 7 UBC Thunderbirds (12-6)
Last Week: W 3-0, W 3-0 vs UBC Okanagan
The 'Birds swept the 2-16 UBC Okanagan Heat both nights they were in town last week, but anyone who saw those matches unfold knows they were two very different contests. UBC needed two desperate late-set comebacks to steal away victory in match one, which was concerning given it was a home-court game that they needed for playoff positioning against a last-place team.
They did come back strong with a better effort in match two, cutting the Heat's hitting percentage down to .125 with a great blocking effort. Middle blocker
Chris Howe had five blocks, including three solo blocks on the night. He and middle partner
Alex Russell both chipped in with some efficient offence too, combining for 12 kills on 20 attacks.
Jarrid Ireland put up big offensive numbers both nights, totalling 31 kills on above .500 hitting. He showed great hustle defensively as well, leading the team with 14 digs in the series. Having been an everyday starter since joining UBC as a rookie, it can be easy to forget Ireland is only in his second season. He plays with the poise and consistency of a veteran offensively and is taking big steps forward with his defenisve game as well.
No. 8 Brandon Bobcats (10-8)
Last Week: L 3-1, L 3-0 at Saskatchewan
Two weeks ago, the Bobcats actually moved up in the national rankings to No. 5 coming off a 1-3 stretch. That's because that stretch was against the top two teams in the country – Trinity Western and Alberta – and the Bobcats managed to win a total of seven sets, not to mention one match, against those elite opponents.
But last week the losing continued, and this time nothing about it was impressive. Saskatchewan is far from a pushover at 12-6 on the year, but they are also far from the unbeaten Alberta Golden Bears, and for the Bobcats to take just one set from them while fighting for their playoff lives is simply not good enough for a real contender.
They are still likely to hold on and make the playoffs, as they currently have a three-game lead over the bubble team (Mount Royal) with four games remaining. But that doesn't look like a sure thing anymore with a record of 1-5 in their last six games and yet another ranked team on the schedule this weekend.
Sam Tuivai continues to lead the conference with over four kills per set, but he was really bottled up by the Huskies last weekend in Saskatchewan, hitting well under .200. He's taken more than a third of his team's total attacks this season so opposing teams certainly know what to expect when the Bobcats are on the court, but doing something about it is easier said than done.
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