LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western University men's volleyball team are set to begin the postseason with a rematch of last year's U SPORTS championship final, as the Spartans host the UBC Thunderbirds in a Canada West best-of-three quarter-final series, starting Thursday at the Langley Events Centre.

WEEKEND PREVIEW
Game 1 | Thursday, Feb. 21 vs. UBC – 8 p.m. (PT)
Game 2 | Friday, Feb. 22 vs. UBC – 8 p.m. (PT)
Game 3 (if necessary) | Saturday, Feb 23 vs. UBC – TBA

THE WEEKEND STORY
• TWU, who finished the season second in Canada West with an 18-4 record, enters the playoffs riding a seven-match winning streak.
• The Spartans last loss came at the hands of UBC, when TWU lost in four sets on Jan. 25. TWU bounced back the next night to beat the T-Birds in three sets.
• The T-Birds, who finished seventh in CW with an 11-11 record, come into this weekend's series after posting a 9-1 record in the second half of the season, with their only loss coming against the Spartans.
• TWU is looking to begin its quest for a fourth straight Canada West championship.
• This weekend's series marks the first time TWU and UBC have ever played each other in the Canada West quarter-finals.
• The last time both teams met in playoffs was last years national final, when UBC capture gold in a three-set victory at McMaster University.
• TWU's Eric Loeppky (Steinbach, MB) will play an important role in the Spartans success, as he finished the year first in Canada West in both hitting percentage (.347) and service aces per set (0.58).
• UBC will look to second-year setter Ben Hooker (Winnipeg) to guide the offence as he sits second in all Canada West with 9.98 assists per set.
• TWU is 41-17 all-time against UBC, including both the regular season and playoffs.
• The last time UBC and TWU met in a Canada West playoff game, the Spartans beat the T-Birds in a five-set semifinal Feb. 22, 2013.
• TWU is 3-1 all-time against UBC in the playoffs.

SPARTANS HEAD TO HEAD IN 2018-19
vs. UBC (1-1)
Jan. 25 – UBC 3 TWU 1
Jan. 26 – TWU 3 UBC 0

TRINITY WESTERN SPARTANS
U SPORTS ranking: No. 2
Canada West Standings: 2nd
Last Weekend: Manitoba (3-0 W, 3-1 W)
Streak: 7 Wins
Regular Season Form: W-W-W-W-W

UBC THUNDERBIRDS
U SPORTS ranking: No. 9
Canada West Standings: 6th
Last Weekend: Calgary (3-2 W, 3-0 W)
Streak: 4 Wins
Regular Season Form: L-W-W-W-W