Matchup
In a battle of the sister schools the UBC Thunderbirds will take on the UBCO Heat in Kelowna to begin theirs 2017-18 Canada West seasons.
Both games go at UBC Okanagan Gymnasium with the opener on Friday, October 20 at 6pm and the re-match on Saturday, October 21 at 7pm.
Both games are available on
CanadaWest.TV
Last Action
The Thunderbirds are coming off a magical 2016-17 season which saw them catch fir in the final months and roll all the way to their first nationa championship in three years. UBC bench boss
Doug Reimer will have a re-tooled line-up in 2017-18, as star players
Danielle Brisebois,
Juliana Kaufmanis and
Maggie Li have all moved on from the program.
The UBCO Heat continue to build a very strong program in Kelowna. In 2016-17 they made it all the way to the Canada West Final Four, before losing to eventual national silver-medalist Alberta.
By the Numbers
801 – the number of kills provided by Brisebois, Kaufmanis and Li in 2016-17. The 'Birds are essentially re-building their attack in 2017-18.
1188 – the number of assists provided in 2016-17 by
Alessandra Gentile,
Samantha Patko and
Olivia Furlan. Although the 'Birds attack will come from new places, the engine of the offence will be the same and a year more experienced.
Players to Watch
Kiera Van Ryk– the five-star recurit had a legendary BC High School career and will be tasked with being the 'Birds most prolific attacking player in 2017-18.
Samantha Patko – the now veteran libero's play was exceptional in the 'Birds 2016-17 championship run. She will need to consistently play at that level in the current season.
Coach's take
"At this point of the season, there are a lot of teams that have the potential to get there," Reimer told Howard Tsumura of Varsity Letters when asked about his team's potential of a consecutive title. "In the Canada West, I couldn't point to a dominant team."
