This weekend the Heat volleyball teams will be playing a pair of very meaningful matches as they face off against a University of Regina Cougars program that is sitting in a similar spot in the standings. The Heat teams have playoff hopes and they need to take out the Cougars at home this Friday and Saturday night. The basketball teams will also play in a pair of big games as they head to Vancouver and the venerable War Memorial Gymnasium to take on the Thunderbirds in the basketball portion of the newly minted UBC – UBC rivalry.
Volleyball (Men’s and Women’s)
The top seven teams make the playoffs in Canada West volleyball, currently the men’s volleyball team sit in ninth place just three games out of the final playoff berth. The Regina Cougars are 4-1o and just one game and one spot ahead of the Heat, with a 3-11 record, in the standings. With two wins over Regina this weekend the Heat would leapfrog the Cougars in the standings and keep their playoff dream alive. The Heat pushed the No. 3 Alberta Golden Bears to the limit last weekend but dropped both, while the Cougars losing streak is at five games after falling twice at home to Manitoba last Friday and Saturday. Both of these huge games are set to go Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m., and will be played on UBC’s Okanagan campus.
The women’s volleyball team is in a similar position as the men with an identical 3-11 record and a ninth place standing. The Heat with a big win last Saturday against the then No. 3 ranked University of Alberta Pandas will look to build on that victory this weekend, when host the 2-11 University of Regina Cougars, with a couple of victories. The Cougars dropped both of their matches at home last weekend versus Manitoba and are currently in a 10 game losing streak. Action begins at 6 p.m. both Friday and Saturday Jan. 27-28 nights, watch in person at UBC’s Okanagan campus gym.
Basketball (Men’s and Women’s)
Last weekend was arguably the hardest road trip of the year for Heat basketball teams as both the men’s and women’s squads dropped games against ranked Prairie opponents. The Heat stay on the road for another tough weekend as the UBC Okanagan basketball teams head to Vancouver for the first ever matchup versus the UBC Thunderbirds.
The women’s team played and lost to the No. 4 Saskatchewan Huskies and the No. 5 Alberta Pandas and dropped both games this past weekend as the trip included a game in Saskatoon on Friday night, and then another game in Edmonton on Saturday night. This upcoming weekend the travel may be easier but the opponent will be just as hard as the 2-10 Heat will play twice against the CIS No. 3 UBC Thunderbirds. The T-birds were also on the road last weekend and took a game off of Manitoba and Winnipeg. Tip-off on Friday night is at 6 p.m.; Saturday the game starts an hour earlier at 5 p.m., both games to be played at War Memorial Gym on the UBC Point Grey campus.
The men fared no better than the women on the prairies last weekend with two losses, and will face the defending Canada West champions and the 2011 national bronze medalists when they play a pair of games against the CIS No.3 ranked UBC Thunderbirds. The T-birds have won six in a row, taking out Manitoba and Winnipeg last weekend and are unbeaten at home; the Heat will have the daunting task of trying to get their first road victory against one of the top programs in the nation. Friday Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. the Heat and T-Birds will take to the court at War Memorial, Saturday the teams will go at it an hour earlier with tip-off at 7 p.m. and again at War Memorial Gym.
