Need to Know

The UBC Thunderbirds women's volleyball team are once again among the top eight teams in the country, and, this weekend, will face off against the Montreal Carabins in the quarterfinals of the 2016 CIS Women's Volleyball Championship, as they aim to earn the program's 11th national title.
 
Hosted in Brandon, Man., the 'Birds will kick off their tournament at 6:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, March 11 in the opening day's fourth matchup. The full tournament schedule, as well as the seeding breakdown, can be found here.
 

Last Week

The 'Birds are coming off of a mixed bag in their Canada West Final Four Weekend – they fell 3-1 to UBC Okanagan in the semis, but rebounded with a stellar straight-sets win over the Alberta Pandas to earn the Bronze Medal – a feat no Pandas opponent accomplished during the season.


 

By The Numbers

9 – 2016 marks the ninth straight season that the Thunderbirds have made it to the country's final eight, a streak spanning back to 2008. In that stretch, the 'Birds captured CIS championships six straight times from 2008 to 2013.
 
5 – Five players – Danielle Brisebois (Bolton, Ont.), Alissa Coulter (Calgary), Katie Crawford (North Vancouver), Emily Cicon (Courtenay, B.C.), and Juliana Kaufmanis (Richmond, B.C.)– are all that's left off of the UBC roster that claimed the 2013 national title.
 

The Matchup 

Just five might remain from three years ago, but all but five current 'Birds were on hand when Montreal upset the 2015 edition of the Blue and Gold 3-0 in last year's national quarterfinals.
 
Outside of Montreal, the 'Birds should be pretty familiar with the field, as three other Canada West programs, the top-ranked Trinity Western Spartans, Heat, and host Brandon Bobcats, are vying for the national crown.
 
The OUA only sent a single representative to the big dance, but the Toronto Varsity Blues are not only conference champions, but they also rank as the only CIS team to finish the season and playoffs undefeated – they come in with a combined 22-0 record.
 
The 'Birds could also see a couple of other foes from out east, as the AUS Champions Dalhousie Tigers and RESQ runner-up McGill Martlets. Dalhousie, in particular is coming in hot, as they have won seven straight matches, including a dominant 3-1 win over the Memorial Seahawks in the conference finals.
 

Coach's Take

"Five is a tough seed, because you have to go through three tough matchups to win," admitted UBC head coach Doug Reimer. "Still, we know that we have to focus on Montreal first and foremost.  We've got a lot of respect for that program and what they've done over the years. We've had a lot of very good battles, and they are a tough, experienced team, so I have no doubt it's going to be a great match."