Game Date: February 6 & 7, 2015
Game Location: Women 6pm; Men 8pm; PAC
Webcast/Livestats: canadawest.tv
THE GAMES
The University of Saskatchewan volleyball teams will play at home for the final time in the 2014-15 regular season hosting the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack in a weekend series Friday and Saturday at the PAC. The Huskie men's squad looks to secure a playoff spot.
THE HEADLINES
? The Huskie men's team enters the weekend at 12-10 and needs just one win on the weekend to secure a playoff spot. With a sweep combined with losses by the Winnipeg Wesmen and Manitoba Bisons, the Huskies could host a Canada West Quarter-final. Thompson Rivers at 11-11 is just two points behind the Huskies and can make the playoffs with a sweep.
? Canada West volleyball quarter-finals are best-of-three series that begin February 13th. The top team in the conference receives a bye to the Canada West Final Four with the remaining six teams playing in the quarter-finals. The three winners advance to the Final Four. Two Canada West teams will join the Huskies at the CIS Championship hosted in Saskatoon on February 26-28.
? The Huskie men's team is one of seven Canada West teams featured in the CIS Top 10. Saskatchewan is No. 8. Alberta (No.2), Trinity Western (No.3), Brandon (No.4), Winnipeg (No. 6), Manitoba (No. 7) and UBC (No. 9) join the Huskies in the national weekly rankings.
? Huskie Athletics will honour fifth-year athletes Matthew Busse and Paul Thomson in a pregame match ceremony Saturday.
THE MEN'S SERIES
Since 2005-06, the Huskies are 5-9 against Thompson Rivers in Canada West action. The WolfPack also ousted the Huskies from the Canada West postseason in 2013-14 defeating the Huskies in a heartbreaking extra point fifth set loss in Match 3 of the best-of-three quarter-final.
THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY WOLFPACK (11-11)
Thompson Rivers enters the weekend on a six match winning streak and is also in control of its own playoff fate.
Just two points behind the Huskies, the WolfPack need to look for a sweep over the Huskies combined with a Mount Royal loss to return to the Canada West postseason.
Reigning CIS Player of the Year Brad Gunter leads the WolfPack with 4.56 kills per set at right side, while fellow outside hitter Casey Knight also provides big offence averaging 3.37 kills per set.
NO. 8 UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (12-10)
Looking to secure a playoff date for the third straight season, the Huskies will look for strong play on the final weekend of the Canada West season.
Despite being hosts of the CIS Championship, the Huskies want to earn their way to the national stage. Saskatchewan needs just one win to earmark a date in the postseason.
The Huskies are on a hot streak winning 11 of their last 16 matches to sit tied for fifth place in the standings – just two points out of fourth and two ahead of the WolfPack.
Fifth-year left side Paul Thomson sits among the conference top five with 305 total kills in the 2014-15. He adds another 1.38 digs per set. Fellow left side Jordan Nowakowski has also been strong for Saskatchewan averaging 3.34 kills per set and 1.84 digs. Matthew Busse adds in another 2.43 kills per set from the right side.