Volleyball is back at War Memorial Gym as the UBC Thunderbirds begin their 2026-27 Canada West season by hosting the Calgary Dinos for two games this weekend. The T-Birds women will be playing in the second half of doubleheaders with the men through the first semester, scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. (PT) or Friday and 5:45 p.m. (PT) on Saturday.
Winners of four of the last eight U SPORTS Championships, the blue and gold enjoyed another strong season in 2025-26, finishing the year at 17-3 in conference play before taking Canada West Bronze and going 2-1 at nationals to win the consolation title.
"I'm really pleased with where we are going into the year," said UBC head coach
Doug Reimer, entering his 30
th season leading the Thunderbirds. "This is a fairly veteran group, but in some ways it's a bit of a new group where people are finding their feet, because we had quite a few significant injuries last year. I think returning players have set a really good tone and our new players have done a really good job integrating themselves within the program."
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The team is enjoying remarkable continuity going into this season, with only one player departing. The lone loss is a major one however, as the 'Birds will need to develop a new offensive identity without superstar outside hitter
Lucy Borowski, a Canada West First Team All-Star each of the last three years.
"We've got to become a really well-balanced team this year," added the 11-time national champion coach. "Our offence will need to come from a lot of different sources. We're excited about the improvements that we've seen in a lot of players."
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The Calgary Dinos are coming to War Gym for the first time since 2023, trying to snap the T-Birds' nine-game winning streak against them in regular and post-season play. Last season, the 'Birds flew to Calgary and earned back-to-back 3-0 sweeps, as the Dinos went on to finish 8-12 and fall in the Canada West Play-In.
"There's a lot of unknowns about the Dinos this year," mused Reimer. "They have a big roster, multiple impactful players potentially returning from injury, plenty of versatility, and the ability to take different rotational approaches."
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In a ceremony between sets two and three of Saturday's match, the team will be handing out the Amanjit Pare Memorial Scholarship. Amanjit was the beloved student manager of the UBC women's volleyball team in the late 1970s. Celebrated for her passion and enthusiasm for Thunderbirds volleyball, she is lauded as a natural facilitator and credited with helping the program get to where it is today.
Tickets to this weekend's games can be purchased
here. Stream all of the action, live or on demand, on
Canada West TV.
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