The University of Regina's women's volleyball team opens up the Canada West schedule at home this weekend, as they'll entertain top-ranked UBC on Friday and Saturday at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.

The Cougars return one of the most experienced lineups in the conference this season and head coach Melanie Sanford will look to guide her veterans to a jump up the Canada West standings.

One of four fifth-year Cougars on the roster, Tiffany Herman will control the team's offence as she enters her fourth season as the team's starting setter. Herman was the conference's leader in assists last season, averaging 10.19 per set to become the first U of R player to average double digits in the category since assists began to be tabulated in 2003.

Left side Meagan Onstad, another fifth-year player, finished fourth in the conference last season with an average of 2.98 kills per set and will again see plenty of action on the outside, while middle blocker Solveig Nilson stepped into a starting role early in her first season and enters 2011 with an impressive streak of 74 consecutive Canada West matches started for the Cougars.

Rebecca Rink rounds out the team's fifth-year veterans, as the Headingly, Man. product enters her third season as the U of R's starting libero. She'll be pushed again by Megan Semeniuk, who has seen plenty of floor time as a defensive specialist in her first two seasons of eligibility with the Cougars.

Kaitlyn Hughes, a fourth-year player going into her third season as a starter, will join Onstad on the left side. Also entering her fourth season with the Cougars, Roxanne Olynyk will start at right side for Regina.

Michelle Sweeting, who started all 18 matches and had a team-high 54 total blocks last season as a rookie, will join Nilson in the middle. Sanford also expects 6'5” first-year middle Trisha Dobson (Melville Comprehensive) to push for significant playing time this season.

UBC's women's team has won four consecutive national championships and enters the weekend as the top-ranked team in the CIS Top Ten. The Thunderbirds' list of returning players includes CIS Player of the Year Shanice Marcelle, Canada West second-team all-star Jessica von Schilling, and national team member Kyla Richey.

Ticket information is available at www.reginacougars.com. Both matches this weekend will be webcast live at www.canadawest.tv.