UBC’s women’s and men’s volleyball teams are entering the regular season with something to prove. Here’s what you should expect from the Thunderbirds this year.
Women’s team to defend national title
After a 3–2 win over rival Trinity Western University Spartans, the women’s team clutched its 13th national championship, giving head coach Doug Reimer his tenth national title in March.
Now, moving into the season, the Thunderbirds have the opportunity to win back-to-back championships.
The Canada West (CW) preseason poll ranked the ‘Birds third in the conference, behind the UFV Cascades and University of Manitoba Bisons.
The departure of setter Kayla Oxland, middle Jayde Robertson and outside hitters Cara Kovacs, Elise Petit and Brynn Pasin have left big shoes to fill for the remaining ‘Birds.
Despite these losses, the T-Birds have key returning players leading the charge.
Libero Kacey Jost, coming off a summer of international play on the Volleyball Canada Women’s NextGen team, is a steady defensive force for the team. Issy Robertshaw, only in her second year with the Thunderbirds, racked up 464 assists over 91 sets and is a key player to pick up the pieces after Oxland’s departure.
Outside hitters Lucy Borowski, Akash Grewal and Erika Vermette are ones to watch offensively. Borowski got 182 kills last season at UBC while Vermette brought heat to War Memorial last year with a career-best 162 kills in 89 sets. Having finished a summer on the Canadian NetGen beach volleyball team, Grewal brings a well-rounded presence to the court.
The team’s roster also boasts Katarina Pantovic, an outside hitter who has previously played on the international stage representing Canada and transferred from UC Berkeley to UBC last season. At Berkeley, Pantovic played in 71 sets and, in the 2020/21 season, was second on the team in kills with 155. She did not play in regular season matches for the ‘Birds last season, but is a player to watch out for on the court.
The team also brought in strong recruits, namely Ella Ungemach, who trained with the U19 National team in 2022.
Young men’s team looking to improve
Last season, the men’s team finished fifth in the CW standings with a 15–9 record, and are moving into the new season with a young squad. The ‘Birds do not have any athletes with more than three years of eligibility on this year’s team.
The CW preseason poll ranked the Thunderbirds fourth in the conference.
Going into the season, the team said goodbye to some key players, namely outside hitters Michael Dowhaniuk and Coltyn Liu and opposite hitter Matt Neaves. Dowhaniuk and Neaves have been with the ‘Birds since 2018, and Liu since 2017.
Keeping the team steady is middle James Vincett, libero Logan Greves and All-Canadian outside hitter Conaire Taub. Vincett, standing at 6’11, brings height to the team and last season boasted a 0.289 attack percentage over 59 sets. Greves, who previously played on the U21 national team, wracked up 187 digs on 93 sets. Taub was a stand-out rookie last season, and garnered 119 kills and 84 digs over 70 sets with the ‘Birds.
Team newbie outside hitter Toby Bergh comes to the ‘Birds from Brisbane. Bergh has trained with the Australian Senior National Program and represented Australia at the 2022 FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championships.
Both teams will play their first regular season game on October 20 at the War Memorial Gym against the Mount Royal University Cougars. The women play at 6 p.m. and the men start at 7:45 p.m.