Volleyball action returns to the College of the Rockies this weekend as the Avs and Lady Avs welcome the Douglas College Royals to Cranbrook.
Both teams return to PACWEST action for the first time since the holiday break this weekend, though head coach Andrew Zurrin's Lady Avs got some work in at an exhibition tournament in Lethbridge over the break.
Zurrin said the extra court time helped boost the confidence of his squad, which is 4-8 heading into the 2015 portion of the schedule.
"We have to shut down [Juliana Penner], who is a good player," Zurrin said. "We practiced fantastic all week and last week. We've added extra defense. Our offense is smoother. I think we should be able to come out with two match wins."
The Lady Royals are 4-10 coming into the weekend, after suffering back-to-back straight-sets losses to the University of the Fraser Valley Jan. 9 and 10.
On the men's side of the court, the Avs (3-9) face a tough test as the Royals (12-3) head into the weekend as the top-ranked team in the entire Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association.
In addition to fast-paced volleyball, fans in attendance will be privy to some intermission entertainment featuring the Double Trouble Duck Toss. A total of 16 teams of two will be selected to play pitch-and-catch with a rubber duckie, with prizing on the line from Shadow Mountain Golf, Koko Beach Tanning & Hair Salon and the Peaks Climbing Wall at the college.
Tickets for a shot at being selected to participate in the duck toss cost $1 each.