The Matchup

UBC will be hungry for a pair of victories to improve on a 1-1 record in their home opener against Winnipeg this weekend at War Memorial Gymnasium. The Thunderbirds won a single set against the Wesmen in their last head-to-head battle, falling 3-1 and 3-0 almost a year ago. After all was said and done, UBC finished the season a mere four points back of Winnipeg in the competitive Canada West.

The first serve on Friday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., while Saturday's match is slated for 6:30 p.m. 


 

Last Action

To start their 2016-2017 campaign last week, the 'Birds headed out to the Prairies to face Saskatchewan and came away with a split. After dropping their first match of the year 3-1, UBC turned the tides with a 3-1 win over the Huskies clinching the "W" with a tight 25-22 triumph in the final set.
 

6 PACK ALERT!! Irvan "Bounce" Brar does it again with a vicious back row attack. Kudos to #7 for continuing on with the match. volleyball ubc #6pack @myvolleywood @spectacularvolleyball @ibubrar

A video posted by UBC Men's Volleyball (@ubcmensvolleyball) on Oct 30, 2016 at 5:40pm PDT

The Wesmen are undefeated in two matches and have only lost one game in the early stages of the U Sports Canada West schedule after downing MacEwan 3-0 and 3-1 to kickoff their season at home.
 

By the Numbers

38 – the most block assists in the CIS - a record held by a UBC team that has recorded 23 total blocks and average 2.88 blocks per set.
 
15.43 – the Wesman's league-leading number of kills per set, four more than UBC. Winnipeg has the fourth most kills in two games with 108.
 

Players To Watch

Mat Guidi – (#14, Outside Hitter) – the fourth year hitter has led the Thunderbird attack with 26 kills in two games, and averages almost 4 points per set.
 
Joel Regehr – (#9, Middle) – the towering veteran middle blocker has the fourth most blocks per set in the CIS with 1.38 and will look to add to his 11 total blocks this weekend against a potent Winnipeg offence.
 

Coach's Take

"The team is excited to be playing our first regular season home matches this weekend in front of our fans," says UBC head coach Kerry MacDonald. "Winnipeg is a strong team that is well coached and should make for some great games. Following the matches last weekend we have focused on our serving and out of system offence.  These were two areas that we knew needed more attention coming into the season and will likely continue to be a focus for us throughout the first semester."