The Matchup

 
UBC visits Edmonton in their last game of the year to take on the 2-8 MacEwan University Griffins on Friday at 6:30 pm before a rematch on Saturday at 5:30 pm. This U Sports western tilt features a seventh place T-Birds team who sit at .500 on the season.  

The two division foes last clashed in November of 2015, with the T-Birds taking home both victories – only dropping one set in the process.

Last Action

 
The 4-4 Thunderbirds suffered their first back-to-back losses on the season last weekend, falling to the top-ranked Trinity Western Spartans in an eventful series. At home for game one, UBC pushed the Spartans to the brink in a marathon fourth set – but ultimately lost 32-30 on a defensive miscommunication. On the road in the backend of the double-header, the 'Birds came out firing by winning the first two sets, but were thwarted by the western powerhouse in five sets.


 
After a slumping start to the season that saw them drop eight consecutive matches, the Griffins are on a two match win streak after defeating Thompson Rivers 3-1, 3-2 last week.
 

By the Numbers

94 – the Thunderbird block total – tops in U Sports play thus far.

1111 – the Griffins league-high number of total attacks.

Players To Watch

 
Irvan Brar – (#4, Outside Hitter) – the highflying hitter leads the Thunderbird attack with a team-high 2.79 kills per set. Brar's 15 kills was a team-high in the Thunderbirds most previous match against Trinity Western.




Byron Keturakis – (#1, Setter) – The offensive conductor orchestrates the attack with a team-high 9.21 assists per set. Keturakis also provides a defensive presence, with a team-leading 1.79 digs per set.

Coach's Take

"GMAC is coming off of their team's first ever weekend sweep with 2 wins over TRU," said UBC Head Coach Kerry MacDonald. "We're expecting a hard fought series this weekend. That said, we also played some of our best volleyball this past weekend against TWU and are simply looking to get better next weekend. Our guys have been working really hard on and off the court this semester and if we can be keep building on our past performances, we will finish off the first semester on a positive note."