Looking to continue their dominance of Canadian University Tennis, the Golden Bears and Pandas will head to Vancouver this weekend for the 2024 Western Canadian Championship. 

UBC will host the Pandas at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, with the Thunderbirds hosting the Bears at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. The winner of both matches will advance to the U SPORTS Championship in August.

The Golden Bears will be looking for a third national championship appearance in four seasons. UBC handed Alberta their only loss of 2023/24, a 5-2 Thunderbirds win in Edmonton in November. 

"It's going to be a battle between us and UBC, as two of our former captains (Kiran Phaterpekar, Jared Maclean) who helped us win a national championship a few years back are now on the opposing team," said Golden Bears head coach Jordan Sluchinski. "Playing away at UBC in Vancouver is always a challenge as they have the home court advantage, a strong fan base, and the courts play slower then here in Edmonton which can make the matches more challenging." 

The Pandas, meanwhile, head to Vancouver as the four-time defending National Champions, and own an undefeated 3-0 record this season. 

During their current national title streak, the Pandas own a 32-1 win/loss record, dating back to the start of the 2018/19 season. Over those four years, the Pandas are 156-40 combined in singles and doubles matches.

"Our group has been training hard this semester, and are looking forward to the challenge this weekend in Vancouver," said Pandas head coach Ivan Quintero. "UBC always presents a tough test for us, and this weekend will determine a worthy representative at the national championship. We will also need to be prepared for tennis at sea level, which means a slower ball and longer rallies." 

Five of the 10 Pandas this season are in their first year with the program, with two first-years (Emily Granson, Sonia Skobkareva) suiting up this weekend in Vancouver. 

The rest of the Pandas starting six are all incredibly experienced, with each Emma Rutherford, Alexandra Jewitt, Marena Diaz Nakagawa and Sandra Taskovic being part of the national championship win last summer. 

The Bears also boast a deep and experienced lineup, which features 2021 National Champions Ethan Oboniye and Neel Phaterpekar, captains Zack Perala and Prashant Kumar, first-years Bears Kevin Bondar, Keenan Desmarais and sophomore Jackson Baerg. 

"Our captains have shown great passion and dedication this year and with their strong leadership will help us led the way  hopefully bringing back the Western Championship," continued Sluchinski. "Ethan and Neel are our experienced veterans who are hungry to bring back another championship to U of A."