VANCOUVER - A 6-1 run to finish the regular season earned the UBC Thunderbirds their first home court playoff series since 2008. Now all that stands between them and the Canada West men's volleyball Final Four is a best-of-three series with the Manitoba Bisons, which gets underway this Thursday at War Memorial Gym.
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No. 7 UBC Thunderbirds (15-7)
Last Week: W 3-0, W 3-0 vs Mount Royal
The T-Birds have to feel good about the way things played out over the last couple weeks of the Canada West regular season. Not only did they finish the campaign with perhaps their most consistent and dominant weekend of volleyball this year, easily knocking off a decent Mount Royal team that was still alive for a playoff spot heading into the series, but they also drew Manitoba at home for round one. UBC beat Manitoba in both previous meetings this season, and that was on the road, so confidence shouldn't be an issue for the younger T-Birds going up against a very experienced Bisons team.
It's hard to believe at times just how young a team the 'Birds are. Starting outside hitters
Jarrid Ireland and
Ben Chow, as well as starting setter
Milan Nikic and middle
Alex Russell, are all second-year players. Then you have two third-year starters in libero
Ian Perry and middle
Chris Howe. But all of them started full seasons as rookies for UBC (except Howe, who transferred from UBC Okanagan), so they all play with a refinement and poise beyond their years.
And, as young players tend to do, they seem to be getting better and better each time they take the floor. Deep playoff runs are all about peaking at the right time, and UBC seems to be doing just that, hitting almost .400 as a team during their series against Mount Royal last week. The blockers have been even hotter, averaging more than three blocks per set since the holiday break. Manitoba was the top-ranked blocking team in the regular season, setting up a crucial battle at the net between two talented squads this weekend.
No. 4 Manitoba Bisons (14-8)
Last Week: L 3-0, W 3-1 at Saskatchewan
Two weeks ago, the Bisons became the first team to beat No. 1 Alberta, giving them a big boost in the CIS rankings up to No. 4, and setting them up with a great chance to lock up home court advantage in the final week of the regular season. But the Bisons flubbed that chance to the tune of a 3-0 drubbing at Saskatchewan, and although they bounced back to win game two, the T-Birds had already swooped in and won home court, setting up an odd scenario where this week's series "favourite" is not only the road team, but also the team that lost the regular season series 2-0.
However, the Bisons aren't ranked that high for no reason. In stark contrast to the T-Birds, four of Manitoba's starters are fifth-year players (outside hitters Dane Pischke and Chris Voth, libero Derek Nieroda and middle blocker Joseph Brooks), and they have much more extensive playoff experience, having won the CIS bronze medal last year.
But the world of sports is constantly asking "what have you done for me lately?" The T-Birds will hardly be intimidated by Manitoba's resume given what happened when these teams met back in November. Those weren't exactly cake walks, with the 'Birds needing nine total sets to get the two wins, four of which went beyond the usual 25-point threshold, but the pressure is certainly Manitoba's seniors to reedem themselves and make the most of their final playoff run.
The two teams last met in the playoffs five years ago at War Memorial Gym in a memorable series that went to three matches. UBC won the third match 31-29 in the fourth set to clinch its first berth to the CIS championships in 18 years.
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