VANCOUVER – The push towards the 2023 Canada West playoffs continues this weekend as the number two ranked UBC Thunderbirds (12-2) look to secure their fifth straight victory when they host the seventh placed UBC Okanagan Heat for the first time (in any form of competition) since February 19th, 2022. The Heat (8-6) come into the weekend riding their own three-game winning streak and are looking to keep pace with the log-jam of teams that are slightly ahead of them in the Canada West standings. Even with 10 games remaining in UBC’s regular season schedule it’s worth noting that this weekend’s double-header ‘could’ be a playoff preview.
Doug Reimer‘s crew are coming off back-to-back 3-0 victories at home last weekend against Saskatchewan and find themselves just one victory shy of a tie for first place with the Trinity Western Spartans. But beginning Friday the ‘Birds begin a difficult stretch of games where every opponent (as of January 11th) remaining on their schedule has a .500 or better record.
“We played the weekend with good consistency across the board,” claimed Doug Reimer. “Our serving in particular was strong. We played with confidence, trust in one another and in our team identity.”
One of the top performers offensively for UBC last weekend was fourth-year outside hitter Cara Kovacs. In a span of two games, the Vancouver, B.C. product led UBC with 35 points and chimed in with nine service aces and eight blocks. Her strong play this season has helped contribute to UBC’s identity as a team loaded with depth and talent in all areas of the court.
“Cara was really good across the board. I thought she played really free. She gave us outstanding contributions in all areas,” added Reimer. “And we welcomed Jayde Robertsen back to the lineup too which gave our offense some more diversity and that was definitely something that we can build on moving forward.”
The UBC Okanagan Heat bring an 8-6 record to UBC this weekend and last season managed two victories in five tries against the ‘Birds. Fourth-year outside hitter Sydney Grills currently sits third in Canada West scoring with 231 points. Neutralizing her effectiveness will be front of mind for UBC this weekend.
“She’s a really strong offensive force that we have to pay a lot of attention to,” concluded Reimer. “She’s a tall athlete, hits really hard, and it’ll be a good challenge for our blocking defense to handle that. As a whole, they’ve had a number of injuries, but they’re getting healthier and we’re going to have to adapt our game accordingly.”
First serve Friday, January 13 is set for 6:00 p.m. PT at War Memorial with Saturday’s rematch beginning at 5:00 p.m. Tickets for both nights are available now and both will be streamed live on Canada West TV.
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