Canada West’s three-time defending champions are joined by three would-be first-time champions in the semi-final round of the 2023 Canada West women’s volleyball playoffs.
The Trinity Western Spartans, who won the title in 2019, 2020, and 2022, continue their pursuit of a fourth straight title, while the Manitoba Bisons, Mount Royal Cougars and Winnipeg Wesmen try to climb closer to a pinnacle they’ve never reached before.
In best-of-three series action, the Spartans host the Wesmen in Langley, Thursday through Saturday, while the Cougars entertain the Bisons in Calgary, Friday through Sunday.The winning teams advance to play for the Women’s Intervarsity Volleyball Trophy on March 10.
To stay up-to-date on all the action, visit Championship Central.
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MATCH-UPS
Mount Royal Cougars vs. Manitoba Bisons at Kenyon Court (Calgary, AB)
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- Friday, March 3 – 6:00 pm MST
- Saturday, March 4 – 5:00 pm MST
- Sunday, March 5 – 3:00 pm MST (if necessary)
It wasn’t until 12 months ago that the Cougars and Bisons crossed paths during the Canada West women’s volleyball playoffs. Now they’re meeting up for a second straight March, as Manitoba looks to avenge its 3-0 loss to MRU in the first round of the 2022 postseason.
Conversely, the Cougars aim to continue their recent run of success against the Bisons, a team MRU has defeated eight straight times, most recently by identical scores of 3-1 in a pair of matches at Kenyon Court during the regular season.
Those victories, on Dec. 2 and 3, started the Cougars’ current home win streak, which is now at 10 matches, including last week’s sweep of the Calgary Dinos in the quarterfinal round. Manitoba, meanwhile, is 5-2 in its last seven road outings after stunning the UBC Thunderbirds by scores of 3-0 and 3-1 in the quarterfinals at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
A win would send MRU to its first ever Canada West women’s volleyball final. Manitoba last played for the title in 2014, losing to the Alberta Pandas.
Trinity Western Spartans vs. Winnipeg Wesmen at Langley Events Centre (Langley, B.C.)
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- Thursday, March 2 – 6:00 pm PST
- Friday, March 3 – 6:45 pm PST
- Saturday, March 4 – TBD (if necessary)
The 2022-23 regular season was an incredible one for the Wesmen, who had their most wins (18) of the 21st century. Now they’ve started off the 2023 postseason with their first playoff series victory since 2012, 2-1 in the quarterfinals over the Fraser Valley Cascades.
But if they are going to advance to the championship final for the first time since becoming part of Canada West, the Wesmen will have to win twice against a team that not only hasn’t been eliminated from the Canada West playoffs in five years, but that Winnipeg hasn’t beaten in nearly two decades.
TWU’s last loss to the Wesmen came in November 2004. Since then the Spartans have beaten Winnipeg 33 straight times, a streak that Winnipeg will try snap at the Langley Events Centre, where TWU has won seven consecutive matches, including a pair of straight-set victories over UBC Okanagan last Thursday and Friday in the quarterfinal.
The Spartans and Wesmen have not played each other in over three years, their last meeting coming during the 2020 playoffs when TWU swept Winnipeg in the quarterfinal round.