The Matchup

 
After a pair of victories at home, the UBC Thunderbirds are on the road again in Alberta as they take on the 7-9 Calgary Dinos on Friday at 6:30 PM (PST) and Saturday at 4:30 PM (PST).

The 'Birds entered into the U Sports Top 10 rankings for the first time this season after improving to 10-6, while the Dinos fell to below .500 last weekend.



It'll be a trip down memory lane for UBC Head Coach Kerry MacDonald, who spent years in the Dino's organization and contributed to Calgary's 2010 National Championship. The two Canada West sides went head-to-head early last season with UBC claiming a dominant 3-1, 3-0 series win at home.

Last Action

The Thunderbirds cruised to a 3-0 shutout over the Mt. Royal Cougars last Friday, but were faced with a different MRU squad Saturday night. UBC won the opening game before dropping the next two and fought back to force a fifth and deciding set at War Memorial Gym. The T-Birds earned a 15-11 edge over the Cougars to sweep the series and pull ahead of Mt. Royal in the Canada West.
 
Calgary's five-game winning streak came to an end last weekend, when the Manitoba Bisons overpowered the Dinos in two straight matches (3-1, 3-0) – lowering Calgary down to 9th in the division.

By the Numbers

750 – the Thunderbirds' league-leading number of assists this season. Setter Byron Keturakis has 615 of those in his name, while Tyson Smith has chipped in the second most with 40.

653 – Calgary's total number of digs – the most in U Sports.

Players To Watch

 
Tyson Smith – (#16, Libero) – the rookie Libero has been a key part of the Thunderbird's defence in his first season, and is averaging 2.03 digs/set with the most receptions on the team.


 
Irvan Brar – (#4, Ouside Hitter) – Brar is an offensive sparkplug on a night-to-night basis, with punishing kills that can alter the course of a set. The veteran hitter continues to lead the Thunderbirds with an average of 3.09 kills/set and the second most service aces (15).

Coach's Take

UBC Head Coach Kerry MacDonald isn't satisfied with a number 10 ranking in U Sports. "Although it's nice to be ranked in the top 10, that is in no way our goal as a team or program. We still have some work to do this year. It's always a fun time of year as you get closer to the end of the season and teams are battling for a playoff spot."



MacDonald is also preparing for a return to his long-time stomping grounds in Calgary.
 
"It's obviously quite special for myself to be returning to 'The Jack' and to a gym that I have a lot of fond memories of. It might feel a little weird being on the visitor side of the equation."