SPARTANS EYEING FOURTH CONSECUTIVE CANADA WEST TITLE

LANGLEY, B.C. – No. 1- ranked Trinity Western kicks off their run to a sixth Canada West Championship at the Langley Events Centre on Feb. 23.
 
The Spartans open their playoff run at the Langley Events Centre with UBC Okanagan (13-11) visiting Langley, B.C. for a best-of-three series.
 
As the reigning conference champions, the Spartans now have their sights set on a fourth consecutive Canada West title. Since winning their first conference title in 2015, TWU has hoisted the conference banner in five of seven eligible seasons. The feat of winning four consecutive Canada West titles has only been accomplished twice, with Manitoba doing so from 1966-1969, and Victoria’s historic five-straight from 1986-1990.
 
The Spartans, who also stand as the reigning national champions, finished their 2022-23 regular season campaign at 22-2 (31-3 overall) to earn a conference-best record for the fourth consecutive season.
 
With a varied assortment of impressive attackers, keep an eye out for the graduating senior duo of Ansah Odoom (Surrey, B.C.) and Savannah Purdy (Victoria) to bear the bulk of TWU’s volume. Odoom averaged 3.28 kills per set (T-6^th in conference) while standing as the tenth most efficient hitter in the conference (.296 hitting percentage). Odoom also got the job done on the defensive end, averaging 0.71 blocks per set, and 1.81 digs per set.

On the other side of the attack-line, Purdy served as a well-rounded presence, averaging 2.54 kills per set on a hitting percentage of .282, all while averaging a stunning 0.46 aces per set (4^th in conference). Purdy earned a first-team All-Canadian selection in the 2021-22 season.
 
Aside from Purdy and Odoom, the Spartans still have attacking options with the hard-hitting middle duo of Mikayla Benterud [Clay] (Sherwood Park, Alta.) and Kaylee Plouffe (Sherwood Park, Alta.). Plouffe, the conference’s leader in hitting percentage (.436). Benterud [Clay] finished eighth on the conference’s hitting percentage leaderboards (.299).
 
Regarding distribution and passing, TWU has had some of the best this season with Dora Komlodi (Calgary) and Emma Gamache (Abbotsford, B.C.) leading the charge. Gamache finished first in conference digs (4.35 per set) while Komlodi finished third in assists (9.83 per set), and sixth in service aces (0.42 per set).
 
All of the Canada West playoff action will be streamed on Canada West TV.
 
If the Spartans win each series en route to the Championship match, TWU will host the conference championship weekend, which takes place from Mar. 3-5.
 
For more information on the Canada West Championship as a whole, click here.
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women’s rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men’s rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 13 U SPORTS team championships and 32 Canada West team championships.
 
-TW-