The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds won the 2024 Canadian University Women’s Volleyball National Championships on Sunday. The Thunderbirds won their 14th national title in women’s volleyball by defeating the University of Alberta Pandas 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, 25-23 at McMaster University’s Burridge Gymnasium in Hamilton, Ontario.
Four Thunderbirds reached double-digit points in the championship final. Outside attacker Akash Grewal of Vancouver, British Columbia, led the Thunderbirds with 19 points. Setter Lucy Borowski of Vancouver had 14.5 points, center Claire Cossarini of Calgary, Alberta had 14 points and Erika Vermette of Morris, Manitoba had 12.5 points. Grewal led the Thunderbirds with 14 kills, Borowski led the Thunderbirds with 17 digs, Cossarini led the Thunderbirds with three solo blocks and Calgary’s Issy Robertshaw led the Thunderbirds with 41 assists.
The Thunderbirds entered the national championship as runners-up, behind only the University of Manitoba Bisons. However, the Bisons were defeated by the Pandas 25-21, 21-25, 25-18, 22-25, 18-16 in a dramatic semifinal that lasted two hours and 24 minutes. In the quarterfinals, the Thunderbirds defeated the host McMaster University Marauders 25-19, 0-25, 25-21, 25-18. In the semifinals, the Thunderbirds defeated the Axewwomen of Acadia University 25-16, 25-8, 25-21.
From 1971 to 1982, a round-robin format was used to determine a national university volleyball champion. Back then, the UBC Thunderettes won in 1973, 1974, 1977 and 1978. Because the single-elimination format was used in 1983, the Thunderbirds won in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2023.
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