Dinos, T-Birds battle for playoff positioning

CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men’s volleyball team (8-10) will host the UBC Thunderbirds (11-7) for two games this weekend at the Jack Simpson Gym. Game one begins Friday at 6 p.m., before Saturday’s rematch at 6:45 p.m.
 
Both matches can be streamed live on Canada West TV.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
 
1. MIDDLE OF THE PACK – UBC sits just one spot ahead of Calgary in the Canada West standings. The top eight teams in the 13-team conference will make the postseason tournament, which begins Feb. 24th. Currently, Calgary sits in a tie with Thompson Rivers for seventh place and is one game up on the current ninth-place squad Manitoba.
 
2. HISTORY OF THE MATCHUP – The Dinos have a 25-22 conference record against the Thunderbirds. However, UBC has enjoyed success as of late, winning each conference matchup since February 2015. Aside from the preseason action, Friday’s contest will mark the first time the two programs have met since back in 2019.
 
3. EXTREMELY EFFICIENT – Dinos fourth-year middle Lincoln Baines has been efficient for his team when called upon offensively this season. Baines ranks fourth in Canada West, boasting an impressive .358 hitting percentage this season. On the other side of the net, UBC fourth-year hitter Matt Neaves has stepped up in a big way for the Thunderbirds. Neaves ranks fifth in Canada West in hitting percentage (.357), just a tick below Baines. Impressively, Neaves also leads Canada West in kills per set with 4.41.
 
4. DOING THE DIRTY WORK – Calgary and UBC rank in the top five in both blocks and digs. Calgary is ranked third in team blocks, averaging 2.19 per set, and fifth in digs, averaging 8.63 per set. UBC is ranked fifth in blocks (2.06) and fourth in digs, averaging 9.03 per set.
 
5. HOME COURT ADVANTAGE – The Jack Simpson Gym has been a tough place for opponents recently. The Dinos have won three straight on their home court, winning nine out of 10 sets during the streak.
 
-UC-