The Matchup 

After securing their second consecutive weekend split of the CIS season, the UBC Thunderbirds men's volleyball team (2-2) will hit the road to take on the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack (1-4) this weekend in Kamloops.

The Thunderbirds are on the hunt for their first weekend sweep of the year, and the struggling Wolfpack may be the team to provide that. However, TRU defeated the 'Birds in both of their meetings last season, and the Wolfpack will certainly battle hard for a much needed win.
 

Last Action

The 'Birds walked away with a 1-1 split agains the Saskatchewan Huskies to open their season. A week later UBC again split their games against Winnipeg in their season home-opener at War Memorial Gym. UBC will need to focus on figuring out TRU quickly, as they lost their opening Friday night matches against both Saskatchewan and Winnipeg.



The Wolfpack have struggled in the early part of the season, securing their lone win in four games last Friday against Mount Royal. Two of their contests have ended with 3-0 losses, indicating they may need to make some adjustments.
 

By the Numbers 

48 –UBC's total blocks through four games, good for seventh Canada-wide. Sturdy defence at the net has helped UBC so far, and their 72 block assists also have them ranked second in CIS.

16 – Points per set for UBC. Good enough to crack the CIS top 10, and almost identical to their 15.9 PTS/S average from last season.
 

Players to Watch 

Mat Guidi (#14, OH) – The senior outside hitter leads his team with 60 points. His 20 point performance last Saturday helped secure his team's victory over Winnipeg.



Irvan Brar (#4, OH) – Another Thunderbird veteran who is putting up impressive numbers. His 55.5 points (3.5 PTS/S) are second best on the team, and he also has 31 kills over his last two matches.
 

Coach's Take 

UBC head coach Kerry Macdonald admits to a lack of consistency so far this season, but also feels his team has showed a lot of promise through their first four CIS matches.

"We've been a fairly strong serving and passing team. We've put a bit more emphasis into our attack and block work. We're trying to get better every week. [We are] still in early season form and lacking some constancy in those areas," noted Macdonald.

"One nice thing about this group is that we have a lot of depth. We have more a balanced approach, and it's a nice luxury to have. This weekend we are certainly hoping to have a Staurday night-type performance on night one. "