Matchup
With a Canada West bronze medal on the line, the UBC Thunderbirds (2-2) are gearing up to host the Winnipeg Wesmen (2-3) at War Memorial Gym in a winner-take-all match Friday at 7:00 pm. The 'Birds will look to regain the form that lead to a second-place finish in the regular season, and a quarter-final sweep of Manitoba, as they take on the fifth-seeded Wesmen for the third time this season. In the new playoff format, UBC will take advantage of a full week of preparation heading into the bronze medal game - rather than the twenty-four hour turnaround a season ago that saw the T-Birds capture the 2017 Canada West bronze.
The Thunderbirds handed the Wesmen a pair of losses in Winnipeg earlier this season, winning 3-1 and 3-0 on the road in January.
Byron Keturakis served up five aces and racked up 78 assists in the series win,
Fynn McCarthy added 20 kills with seven aces, and
Irvan Brar tallied 21 kills and 11 digs against the Wesmen.
Last Action
UBC powered through a 3-1, 3-0 quarter-final victory over the Bisons to open their postseason, but fell to the Alberta Golden Bears 2-3 and 1-3 on home court in the Canada West semifinal a week ago.
Winnipeg went the distance in their opening round - losing 0-3 in game one, before eliminating the Brandon Bobcats with consecutive 3-2 and 3-1 wins. However, top-seeded Trinity Western made quick work of the Wesmen in their semifinal, shutting out Winnipeg 3-0 and 3-0 to advance to the final.
By the Numbers
197 – The Thunderbirds have the second most assists in four matches this Canada West postseason. Keturakis lead the conference in assists during the regular season, and is continuing to average over 10 assists per set in the playoffs.
15 – Winnipeg has the most solo blocks in the postseason, and finished the regular season with a conference-high 88 solo blocks - with middle blocker Ethan Duncan leading the team (and the Canada West) with 28 of his own.
Players to Watch
Fynn McCarthy – (#11, Middle) – The rookie continues to demonstrate impressive talent and composure while leading UBC in kills so far this postseason. McCarthy has amassed 53 kills in just 16 sets during his first playoff campaign - a monster 3.31 kills per set - markedly higher than his regular season average of 1.96. The 6'6 middle blocker also has 6 service aces over four matches on a team that has relied heavily on their strength of serve all season long.
Tyson Smith – (#16, Libero) – With 26 digs in 4 matches, the second-year libero consistently contributes to the third-most digs in the Canada West playoffs - as the T-Birds have totaled 119 to date. Smith averaged a team-high 2.03 digs per set in the regular season.
Coach's take
Second-year UBC Head Coach
Kerry MacDonald notes some key differences between last season's bronze medal victory, and this weekend's opportunity to earn a medal on home court.
"Last year we were in the final four format, so the bronze medal game came the day after losing the semifinal. It was a quick turn around, and we were playing in a neutral gym with no fans for either team. This Friday we will have the support of our great fans which will be great!"
Coach MacDonald sees the sweep over Winnipeg in January as a jumping off point to foster the confidence and execution crucial for victory.
"We managed to get two solid wins in their gym this season. The process that allowed us to be successful there, and in so many other matches this season, is what we will be relying on to achieve the outcome we want this Friday."
