Fresh off a quarter-final sweep that earned them a trip to the U SPORTS national championship, the UBC Thunderbirds face one of their fiercest rivals as they visit the Calgary Dinos for a best-of-three Canada West semifinal showdown starting Friday, March 1.

It's the second straight year the T-Birds end up in Calgary for a playoff series having lost in last year's final match only to go on and get redemption against the Dinos with a win in the U SPORTS bronze medal match.



But even fresher in the minds of the 'Birds is a trip to Calgary just two weeks ago where they suffered a weekend sweep in the final series of the regular season, halting what was a seven-match win streak at the time.

As a result, redemption is once again on the minds of the 'Birds who aim to get to a third straight Canada West championship while also improving their seeding possibilities at the upcoming national tournament.

First serve for the first match of the best-of-three semifinal goes Friday at 5:00 p.m. PT with the second match set for Saturday at 5:00 p.m. PT. If needed, a third and deciding match is scheduled for Sunday, March 3 at 11:00 a.m. PT, all at Calgary's Jack Simpson Gym.
 

Last Action

UBC went into Regina and pulled off the quarter-final upset by sweeping the Cougars in two straight matches, both in five sets, as the 'Birds got past Regina in the quarter-final for a second consecutive season.

The Dinos dispatched the visiting Manitoba Bisons in two straight matches to advance to the semifinals, and the national championship, for the second straight year.
 

Players to Watch

Victoria Behie (#5, OH) – UBC's captain had an outstanding series against the Cougars with a combined seven service aces and 23 digs. The 'Birds will continue to lean on her leadership and experience as they continue their quest for a 17th conference banner.   



Sam Patko (#20, LIB) – The fifth-year libero led the 'Birds last weekend with 33 combined digs while adding 14 assists.
 

Coach's Take

Following up a tough end to the regular season in Calgary, the Thunderbirds rebounded well against a very tough Cougars squad, including some impressive resiliency late in both matches.

"We easily could have been playing a third match because it came down to the wire but I thought our team over the course of the weekend had enough people firing at the right times at a really high level," said UBC head coach Doug Reimer. "We were down in the fifth set and hung in there and got really good contributions from a number of people and I think that was one of the key takeaways for me."

?? WVB | @ubcwvb1 boasts three selections to the @CanadaWest all-star and all-rookie teams as Kiera Van Ryk is named a first team all-star, Olivia Furlan earns a second team nod and Kayla Oxland is named to the all-rookie team @VolleyballBC @VBallCanada https://t.co/hZauLjbtla pic.twitter.com/2ZjxVvJf4C

— UBC Thunderbirds / @UBCTBirds (@ubctbirds) February 26, 2019

When it comes to the Dinos, the 'Birds know they need to bring a higher energy than their previous visit.

"We get a bit of a do-over, but I know they'll be well-prepared for us," added Reimer. "It's a significant challenge. Through the second half of the season, they were probably the only team that's really handled us well two nights in a row. So the question is, are we up to the challenge?"