Hometown teams put on a show for their fans in what was a triumphant return to the hardcourt for Canada West playoff action after the year lost to COVID-19.
The women’s volleyball playoff pools were in action Thursday, with four teams at each Alberta, Saskatchewan and Trinity Western (with help from Fraser Valley).
POOL A
TWU vs UFV: The country’s top-ranked team proved their weapon arsenal in front of hometown fans Thursday in the opening match of CW Playoffs. Trinity Western edged past Fraser Valley through a strong defensive effort by the entire lineup, holding UFV to a kill rate of .026. They also took their match in straight sets that got more convincing as the night wore on. Full recap here.
CGY vs BDN: This one was a match that had fans thinking and knowing anything could happen. And it did. The lower-ranked Calgary Dinos fought with tenacity to take the first two sets. The Brandon Bobcats rallied back and appeared posed to take the fifth set with relative ease, up 14-10. The Dinos made them work for it, though – they staved off an incredible eight match points before finally succumbing (25-20, 26-28, 22-25, 25-19, 20-18). Full recap here.
POOL B
ALB vs REG: The U SPORTS No. 2 ranked Alberta Pandas opened their 2022 post-season in style, cruising to a 3-0 win Thursday evening over the Regina Cougars at Saville Community Sports Centre. The team proved they are not here to mess around and have their minds firmly planted on taking care of business. They won each set by eight or more: 25-13, 25-16, 25-17. Full recap here.
UBC vs WPG: In a match between two similarly ranked teams, the UBC Thunderbirds looked to prove the West would prevail. After splitting the first two sets with the Winnipeg Wesmen, the T-Birds took the next two to draw first blood in Pool B, hosted by Alberta. Full game recap here.
POOL C
SSK vs MAN: Over in Saskatchewan, the Huskies gave the hometown something to cheer about after a rocky second set. Manitoba posted a 15-3 run to close it out, but Saskatchewan responded in the third and fourth to take the match. Full recap here.
MRU vs UBCO: Mount Royal showed why they’re ranked number-six in the nation, recording a resilient 3-2 win (25-21, 26-24, 22-25, 25-27, 15-10) over the UBCO Heat in their pool at Saskatchewan. After taking the first two sets, Mount Royal fell to UBCO in the third and fourth. Without the momentum, MRU still found a way to victory, ending the fifth and final match on a 6-2 run. Full recap here.
All these teams are back for more thrilling action, heroic displays and edge-of-your seat moments Friday. Don’t miss a moment by tuning in to Canda West TV presented by Co-op.
Friday Schedule
Pool A at TWU / UFV
Trinity Western vs. Calgary – 6:30 pm @ Langley Events Centre
Brandon vs. Fraser Valley – 6:00 pm @ University of the Fraser Valley
Pool B at University of Alberta
Alberta vs. Winnipeg – 6:00 pm
British Columbia vs. Regina – 1:00 pm
Pool C at University of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan vs. University of British Columbia Okanagan – 6:00 pm
Mount Royal vs. Manitoba – 8:00 pm
For the complete schedule and results, visit Playoff Central.
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