VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds begin their postseason at home against the Winnipeg Wesmen for a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series at War Memorial Gym. UBC finished third in the conference and are ranked No. 5 in U SPORTS heading into the playoffs against the sixth-place Wesmen.
All the action gets underway on Thursday, February 20, at 7:00 p.m. PT, with game two set for Friday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m. PT and a deciding third match (if necessary) scheduled for Saturday, February 22, at 7:00 p.m.
Although UBC had a bit of a rocky start to their regular season - including a series split with Winnipeg in week one - the 'Birds found their footing and won sixteen of their remaining eighteen matches to solidify their place atop the Canada West heading into the playoffs.
The T-Birds finished second in the conference with an average 12.37 kills per set, 2.21 service aces per set and a .323 hitting percentage as their offense consistently overpowered the opposition. UBC also lost the second fewest sets in the Canada West and amassed the second most points through the regular season.
Winnipeg lost three of their last four matches heading into the postseason, and are 5-7 on the road this season, but are a well-rounded team with a dominant veteran in Daniel Thiessen. The fourth-year hitter totaled the most points in the Canada West (365.5) regular season while averaging the third most kills per set (3.89) and digs per set (1.96).
Last Action
UBC swept the fourth-place Brandon Bobcats with back-to-back 3-1 victories at War Memorial Gym to close out the regular season on a four-match win streak. Five different 'Birds recorded double-digits in kills over the weekend (Coltyn Liu, Matt Neaves, Michael Dowhaniuk, Gerard Murray, Nick Mickelberry) while the team racked up 17 service aces over the eight sets.
The Wesmen split their last series with the eighth-place Mount Royal Cougars - winning 3-1 before falling 3-0 and allowing the Cougars to secure the final Canada West playoff spot.
Coach's Take
UBC head coach Mike Hawkins knows both teams have evolved since their last tilt, and is prepared for a well-contested battle.
"Given the fact it was so long ago and both teams look different now, it's tough to take much away from the finer details of the game," said Hawkins. "What we can expect, however, is that Winnipeg is going to be a gritty defensive team and will force us to play our best for us to have success. They rotate looks and lineups pretty frequently, so it will be up to our guys to identify matchups and execute our game plan."
Hawkins expects his team to build off a solid finish to the regular season and continue to take the next steps come playoff time.
"We were happy to have such a strong showing against Brandon to lock up the 3rd spot in the conference, especially given the fact we were able to roll different lineups throughout the weekend," said Hawkins. "Our depth is one of our program's strengths and I think that will bring confidence with it in this round and hopefully beyond. Regardless of the circumstance, we're confident in different guys stepping up into their roles and performing."
