KINGSTON – The UBC Thunderbirds head East to compete at the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship, which will be held March 14 to 17 in Kingston, Ontario. The T-Birds enter the tournament as the sixth seed and are set to face the third-ranked OUA champion McMaster Marauders in quarter-final action on Thursday at the Athletics and Recreation Centre on the campus of Queen’s University.
UBC, who enjoyed a 16-8 record in the 2023/24 Canada West season, booked their ticket to nationals in dramatic fashion with a five-set bronze medal victory over the Winnipeg Wesmen at a sold-out War Memorial Gym on Saturday night.
Joining the ‘Birds from the West are the second-seeded Canada West champion Alberta Pandas and the defending U SPORTS champion Trinity Western Spartans.
“I’m extremely proud of this young group for showing the resilience and grit this past weekend against Winnipeg, however, that’s been our calling card all season – especially this semester,” said UBC head coach Mike Hawkins. “Given how tight the Canada West was this season, we feel we’ve been in playoff mode since the middle of January. That type of mentality has really proved vital for us as we’ve gone through this playoff run and we expect it to play dividends this week in Kingston as well. As was the case against Winnipeg, it’s going to require a full team effort for us to be successful.”
Second-year outside hitter Reeve Gingera made a triumphant return to the T-Birds lineup on Saturday after he was forced to sit out both Canada West quarter-final and semifinal series due to a concussion. Gingera led the team with 19 kills and three aces, while Gavin Moes and Conair Taub had 14 kills each. Canada West Libero of the Year Logan Greves and veteran middle James Vincett also made an impact in their first appearances back from injury.
“All season long, we’ve known that our depth across all of our positions was one of our strengths,” added Hawkins on reinforcements returning to the lineup just in time for the battle for bronze. “It allowed training to be highly competitive from Day 1 of Training Camp and really allowed us to remain stable throughout the last month of injuries to key, experienced players. We’ve had a number of athletes like Dawson Pratt, Jesse Umoren, Calvin Hsu, and Nick Taub step up into roles and done an excellent job. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. Having guys like Reeve, Tree, and Logan returning at this point of the season is fantastic and a testament to our Athletic Therapy team, but we aren’t at this point if it weren’t for the depth and athletes that stepped up along the way.”
The depth of Hawkins’ team shows on the stats sheet. Gingera led the way with 351 kills for 410 points this season but had plenty of help thanks to the conference-leading 242 digs from Logan Greves, the 962 assists from setter Mason Greves, and the additional 293 kills put down by Moes.
“We are a confident group knowing that we went through a tough journey to get here,” emphasized Hawkins. “Match by match, this young group gains valuable experience to help us handle the stresses of high-pressure situations, so though this is our first trip to the big dance, we’ve played in a lot of big moments. Our focus throughout the week is to perform at our best when it matters most, but to do so with the freedom and joy that we’ve played with all season. These games are significant, no question, but we will play with the same style and identity that has shaped UBC Men’s Volleyball all season.”
The No. 6 Thunderbirds will open the tournament against the No. 3 McMaster Marauders in quarter-final action on Thursday, March 14 at 11:00 a.m. PT, with the winner advancing to a semifinal on Saturday.
“Luckily, our athletes and staff are quite familiar with a number of their athletes – having competed on Team Canada with a number of their big players,” noted Hawkins, when asked to size up their first opponent. “Max Gratton and Brendan Mills are talented athletes with a strong core of vets around them and we know this is a battle-tested team as well. They play a high risk, high reward style similar to ours, so we expect for it to be exciting volleyball. We know that they’re a top team and a top program in U SPORTS, but we also know what we’re capable of and the quality that we have on our side. I’m really looking forward to a great matchup.”
The 2024 U SPORTS Championship will be UBC’s first time at nationals since the program’s thrilling gold medal run in 2018 on the McMaster campus, where the ‘Birds knocked off tournament favourite, and the rival TWU Spartans for their fourth overall title in history. The young team will be looking to make their mark on the national stage after a four-year absence from the tournament.
The second quarter-final of the day, between the T-Birds and the Marauders, is set for 11:00 a.m. PT. All U SPORTS Championship action will be streamed live on CBC Sports with broadcast schedules available at usports.ca/en/broadcast.