The No. 2 ranked women’s volleyball squad in the CIS will be on its home court for the first Canada West matches of 2015.
The UBC Okanagan Heat will host the sixth-ranked University of Calgary Dinos for a weekend doubleheader at the Kelowna campus gym.
First serve Friday is 6 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. start on Saturday.
The Heat, at 12-4, lead the Canada West standings by two points over Alberta (11-3), while the Dinos are fourth at 10-6.
Steve Manuel’s UBCO squad stayed sharp over the holidays with a post-Christmas trip to Montreal.
The Heat trained with the University of Montreal women’s team for six days over New Year’s and also defeated the Carabins in two matches—3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 28-26) on Dec. 30, and 3-1 (24-26, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20) on Jan. 3.
“It was a great way to get the team together, refocus after a break, and prepare ourselves for a very tough second half,” said Heat head coach Steve Manuel. “Montreal were great hosts, I can’t say enough about their hospitality. Montreal has a great team, very physical and they play tough volleyball.”
Meanwhile, the UBC Okanagan men are looking to build on a four-game winning streak as they resume the Canada West season Friday at home against the Calgary Dinos.
First serve is set for 8 p.m.
The Heat (4-12) ended a winless start to the season by winning their last four matches prior to Christmas.
Over the holidays, UBCO was in Kamloops for the McDonalds Invitational where the Heat won of three matches—losses to Thompson Rivers and Trinity Western, and a win over Budo International from Japan.
Heat basketball
UBC Okanagan teams are on the road this weekend for Canada West basketball action.
The Heat women and men are in Kamloops Friday and Saturday for games against the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack.
The UBC Okanagan women are 3-5 in conference play, while the men sit at 2-6.
Over the holidays, the Heat women were idle, while the men played a pair of exhibition games. Pete Guarasci’s team lost 57-53 to Douglas College, then defeated Red Deer 92-61.
Guards Mike Goodwin, with 39 points, and Aldrich Berrios, with 36 points, led the Heat offence over the two games.
The next home action for both Heat basketball teams is Friday, Jan. 16 vs the Mount Royal Cougars.
