MVB: T-Birds add pair of college recruits

VANCOUVER - UBC Thunderbirds head coach Richard Schick has added a pair of collegiate transfers for the upcoming 2010-11 season.

Milo Warren, a 6-foot-3 left side attacker from Vancouver Island University, and Chris Klassen, a 6-foot-3 setter from Capilano University, will both suit up in the Blue and Gold as fourth-year seniors this fall.

Warren, of Comox, B.C., is returning to competitive volleyball after a year away from the court. Despite the break, Schick expects him to make an impact this season based on his impressive resume which features a CCAA All-Canadian nod in 2009.

"Milo is a very offensive-minded player that has the ability to take over matches. He will be looked upon to step up and provide consistent attacking from the outside on both the left and right side of the court," said Schick.

In his three seasons at VIU, Warren collected a BCCAA championship in 2007 and a silver medal at the 2007 CCAA championship while adding a silver and bronze result at the 2008 and 2009 BCCAA championships. He was a BCCAA first-team all-star in 2009 and also played with Team BC indoor in 2006 and 2008 while featuring on the beach in 2007.

A graduate of Highland secondary, he plans to pursue a major in anthropology.

Klassen, of Vancouver, has spent the last two seasons with the Capilano Blues after beginning his post secondary career at Selkirk College.

Schick believes that Klassen's size and style of play will allow the T-Birds to tinker with their line-up this coming season.

"Chris brings experience and adds depth to our setting position. At 6-foot-3 and left-handed, his athleticism and offensive mindset will provide us with a bigger threat both in the front and back row. He's an extremely versatile athlete which allows our team a number of options to utilize Chris' abilities," described Schick.

Klassen, who captained the Blues in 2009-10, has strong family connections to UBC. Both of his parents are graduates of the Point Grey school, he has two siblings currently attending UBC and his uncle, Rob Cholyk, captained the T-Bird basketball team in the late 1970s.

The Eric Hamber graduate plans to pursue a degree in human kinetics.

Both new T-Bird additions will be part of their squad's trip to Korea which is scheduled for August 30 to September 13. UBC will play their traditional Korean rivals, SKK, as well as other university and professional teams during the two-week training camp.

UBC opens their 2010-11 Canada West regular season at home against Trinity Western on October 29 at 8:00 p.m.

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Ben Schach
UBC Sports Information Director
604-822-9115 (office)
604-809-1485 (cell)
604-822-6011 (fax)