KAMLOOPS – The Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's volleyball team will hit the ground running coming out of the winter break as they welcome the UBC Thunderbirds and Laval Rouge et Or to the TCC for exhibition play this weekend.
The WolfPack will face UBC on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. and Laval on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. UBC and Laval will face each other Saturday night at 6:00 p.m.
The games will be a chance for volleyball fans in Kamloops to catch some of the top teams in the nation in action before the second half of the U SPORTS season gets underway.
TRU (4-8) finished the first half on a high, earning a sweep over the Manitoba Bisons on home court. A young WolfPack squad has used a strong defensive effort and contributions from throughout their lineup en route to a record that has them tied for seventh in the ultra-competitive Canada West conference.
Alex Howard has been the driving force for the WolfPack in attack. The second-year outside hitter from Merritt has 138 kills on the year, good enough for sixth in the conference. Setter
Walker Sodaro (89) and libero
Brandon Johnson (87) are both near the top in Canada West defensively sitting third and fourth in digs respectively. Sodaro has been exceptional distributing the ball for the WolfPack as he ranks third in the conference with 413 assists.
UBC (9-1) are top-ranked team in the nation and sit second in the CW standings. The Thunderbirds have lost just nine sets through their opening ten matches. Kieran Robinson-Dunning is third in the conference with 1.24 blocks-per-set.
Laval (6-2) is second in the RSEQ conference and ranked ninth in the nation. The Rouge et Or qualified for the U SPORTS National Championship tournament in 2023-24.
Entry is FREE all weekend long.
SCHEDULE:
Friday, Jan. 2 - 6:00 p.m. TRU v UBC (Champ Court)
Saturday, Jan. 3 - 10:00 a.m. TRU v Laval (Champ Court)
Second String
Saturday, Jan. 3 - 6:00 p.m. Laval v UBC (Champ Court)
Sunday, Jan. 4 - 2:00 p.m. TRU v UBC (North Court)
Second String
Sunday, Jan. 4 – 3:00 p.m. TRU v Laval (Champ Court)
