THIS WEEK IN SPARTA

LANGLEY, British Columbia – This Week in Sparta has the No. 8 Trinity Western men’s volleyball team continuing their playoff run in the Canada West semi-finals at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. The best-of-three series against the No. 9 Winnipeg Wesmen begins Thursday, February 29 at 8 p.m., with game two on March 1 at 8 p.m., and game three, if necessary, on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Building B at the LEC.
 
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MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Thursday, February 29 vs Winnipeg Wesmen, Langley, B.C.
8 p.m. (PT) – Langley Events Centre | WATCH
Friday, March 1 vs Winnipeg Wesmen, Langley, B.C.
8 p.m. (PT) – Langley Events Centre | WATCH
Saturday, March 2 vs Winnipeg Wesmen, Langley, B.C. (if necessary)
7 p.m. (PT) – Langley Events Centre – Building B | WATCH
 
NOTABLE

• No. 8 TWU finished Canada West conference play in third place at 15-9 in Canada West, while No. 9 Winnipeg finished in seventh place at 7-15. TWU is 2-0 in the postseason, while Winnipeg is 2-1.
• Last week the Spartans swept the Brandon Bobcats in the best of three series, winning 3-0 on Thursday and 3-1 on Friday at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.
• In their quarter-final series Winnipeg had to go the distance in upsetting the No. 3, second-place, Mount Royal Cougars this past weekend in Calgary, Alta. The Wesmen won 3-1 on Friday night, lost 3-2 on Saturday night, and took the series 3-0 on Sunday afternoon.
• In their last conference weekend series, October 27-28, the Wesmen swept the Spartans 3-1, and 3-2 in Winnipeg. Before that weekend series, the Spartans had won 13 straight against the Wesmen.
• The Spartans are 43-20 lifetime against the Wesmen.
• TWU is 32-3 at home against Winnipeg. The Spartans’ last loss at home to the Wesmen was 3-0, 14 years ago, on February 26, 2010.
• TWU last met Winnipeg in the postseason six years ago in the Canada West semi-finals on March 1-2, 2018. The Spartans swept the best-of-three series 2-0 (3-0, 3-0).
• The Spartans are led by Canada West all-stars fourth-year outside Henry Rempel (Swift Current, Sask.) and second-year setter Anselm Rein (Erfurt, Germany). Rempel finished the season leading Canada West in kills-per-set (4.23), second in total kills (398), and fifth in aces-per-set (0.41). Rein was the top setter in the conference, leading Canada West in assists-per-set (10.29), and was also the leader in service aces-per-set (0.59).
• The Wesmen are led by Canada West all-star, and former Spartan, fourth-year left-side Isaiah Olfert. Olfert was second in service aces per set and total (44/0.48), fifth in Canada West in hitting percentage (.296), and sixth in kills-per-set (3.62).
• Rempel is the Canada West and U SPORTS male volleyball athlete of the week.

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, as well as women’s and men’s disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 13 U SPORTS team championships and 32 Canada West team championships.
 
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