KELOWNA, B.C. – UBCO's Thys Weststrate was named the BioSteel Canada West Men's Volleyball Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon.
The fifth-year middle earned conference athlete of the week honours for the first time in his career and becomes the third UBCO athlete to receive the distinction in 2026-27, joining Abigail Yakemchuk of women's cross country and Maria Georgacacos of women's soccer. The last UBCO men's volleyball player to be recognized was Zach van Geel in January 2026.
Men's Volleyball - Thys Weststrate (UBCO Heat)
Oct. 23 vs BDN: 16 K, 0 E, 22 TA, .727 %, 1 ace, 8 Digs, 3 blocks, 20.0 pts in 3-2 loss
Oct. 24 vs BDN: 10 K, 2 E, 15 TA, .533%, 7 aces, 3 digs, 4.5 blocks, 21.5 pts in 3-1 win
Weststrate began the 2026-27 regular season with an impressive all-around performance as the Heat split a weekend series with Brandon.
Over two games against the Bobcats, Weststrate hit a combined .649, notching 16 kills on 22 attempts with no errors on the first night, before earning 10 kills on 15 swings with just two errors in the following match.
The Kelowna, B.C. native's presence in the front row was also evident through his combined 7.5 blocks, highlighted by three consecutive block assists that helped the Heat secure a 25-16 fourth-set win in the 3-1 victory (25-13, 25-12, 23-25, 25-16) over the Bobcats on Saturday. His impact in the victory extended to the service line, as he tied the school single-match record with seven aces.
With eight total aces over the weekend, he sits first in the country and conference in that category while also leading both rankings in hitting percentage.
