Is there still some magic left in the TRU Gym?
The WolfPack volleyball teams are hoping so, a week after TRU’s basketball teams earned sweeps at their old home.
The WolfPack men and women’s volleyball teams are scheduled to play host to the UBC Thunderbirds today and Saturday at TRU Gym. Tonight’s matches will run at 6 and 7:45, while Saturday’s will go at 5 and 6:45 p.m. — the women play first both nights.
TRU is hoping to capture the magic its basketball teams had at TRU Gym last weekend. Pushed out of its home — the Tournament Capital Centre — the WolfPack hoopsters recorded sweeps of the Lethbridge Pronghorns and Calgary Dinos at TRU Gym.
Last Saturday’s Calgary games were on alumni night for TRU’s basketball program. The volleyball program will have a similar alumni night on Saturday — all former players, coaches, trainers and managers are invited.
To create a more nostalgic atmosphere, the teams decided to play their matches at the older, tighter TRU Gym.
As much fun as folks will be having off the court, it’s an important weekend on it for the WolfPack men’s volleyball team. TRU is 5-9, and looking to rally its way back into Canada West postseason contention.
The top seven teams will qualify for the postseason, and the WolfPack is tied for eighth. UBC, meanwhile, is 9-5 and tied for fourth.
TRU has eight matches remaining in the regular season — after these two against the Thunderbirds, it will head to Calgary to play the Dinos on Jan. 25-26, before finishing with home sets against the Mount Royal Cougars (Feb. 2-3) and Winnipeg Wesmen (Feb. 8-9).
The Dinos (2-12) are right behind the WolfPack, which is tied with Mount Royal (5-9). The Wesmen (7-7) hold the last playoff spot, which means the final weekend may determine who goes to the postseason.
TRU’s women’s volleyball team (0-14), meanwhile, is still looking for its first victory of the season. It will be in tough against the T-Birds (13-1), the No. 1-ranked team in Canada.
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The WolfPack women’s basketball team, meanwhile, is looking to extend its program-best six-game winning streak during a tough road trip to the Prairie Division.
TRU (10-3) is off to Edmonton to play the Alberta Pandas tonight before traveling to Saskatoon to play the Saskatchewan Huskies on Saturday.
The WolfPack men (6-7) will do the same thing. They won twice on the weekend and now occupy the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division.
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Currently fourth in the Pacific Western Athletic Association standings, the WolfPack badminton team will play its first tournament of 2013 at Douglas College in New Westminster on Saturday and Sunday.
TRU was fourth at the first two tournaments of the conference season.
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The WolfPack will look to snap a five-game B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League losing streak today when Victoria comes to town.
TRU will play host to Victoria at Memorial Arena at 8:30 p.m. Victoria (6-7-0-1) is third in the six-team league; TRU (4-8-0-1) is fifth.
The game will kick off a five-game homestand for TRU.
