Countdown is on for U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Championship at UBC

VANCOUVER – In less than a month, UBC will welcome Canada’s top university women’s volleyball programs to historic War Memorial Gym as the Thunderbirds host the 2023 U SPORTS National Championship starting Friday, March 17.

It’s been a long time coming for the country’s most successful women’s volleyball program to battle for U SPORTS supremacy on their home court. The 2023 tournament will mark the third time for War Memorial to play host to the championship, but the first since 1983 when the T-Birds took home the bronze.

Led by the winningest coach in U SPORTS women’s volleyball history, UBC head coach Doug Reimer boasts an incredible eight national championship titles with the ‘Birds along with five Canada West conference banners.

The last time UBC took home the big prize was back in 2019 when the eighth seeded Thunderbirds completed a Cinderella-type run in Edmonton, knocking off their perennial rivals the Trinity Western Spartans in a five-set thriller before going on to defeat the Dalhousie Tigers in the semifinals followed by a five-set gold medal match win over Toronto Metropolitan University.
 

Last season the T-Birds came agonizingly close to advancing to yet another national championship tournament but fell just short in the Canada West bronze medal game.

Boasting a veteran laden lineup and one of their deepest teams in recent memory, the No. 9 ranked Thunderbirds already have a berth in the upcoming national championship as hosts, but are fully intent on making it there on their own accord as they gun for a 13^th title in program history.

That quest begins this weekend at War Memorial where the Thunderbirds, who finished third in the regular season with an 18-6 record, host the Manitoba Bisons for a best-of-three quarter-final series starting Friday night.

Tickets for the 2023 U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball National Championship are on sale now with tournament packages available to see all eight of Canada’s best university teams battle for the 2023 banner. Book your seat today to kick off spring by taking in the top volleyball talent this country has to offer!