The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women's volleyball team know they're in the 2019-20 Canada West playoffs. What they don't know is where they will be playing their opening round series.

They do know that if they want to win their first championship banner, they will have to go through their opponent in this: the final weekend of the regular season.   That is the defending Canada West champs and current number one team in the nation and Canada West: the Trinity Western University Spartans.

The teams will battle it out on the championship court at the Tournament Capital Centre on Friday (Feb 14) at 6:45 PM PDT and Saturday (Feb 25) at 5 PM PDT.

The Spartans enter the weekend at 20-2.  The WolfPack are 16-6 but are in a dogfight with MacEwan (17-7) and Alberta  (16-6) for third, fourth and fifth in league standings.   The top four teams will host a first round series.     

MacEwan has a bye week. Alberta is playing the Cougars in Regina.  Regina sits in the bottom of the league at 2-20.   In order for Thompson Rivers to move into a 'home hosting' scenario they will have to sweep the Spartans unless Regina pulls off an upset.

Looking at the Spartans, they have a number of players among the Canada West statistical leaders led by Hillary Howe (4^th year, outside hitter, Calgary, AB). She is second in kills per set (3.96), third overall in kills (289) and fourth in service aces per set (0.58).

Kendra Finch (5^th year, outside hitter, North Vancouver, BC) is fifth in the league in kills (267) while teammate Kseniya Kocyigit (1^st year, middle, Byarosa, Belarus) is fifth in hitting per centage (.316)
 
Friday's match is the WolfPack's annual  # I Believe You night which brings awareness to survivors of sexual abuse.   Saturday will see the WolfPack honoring their lone graduating player: Finch.  Trinity Western's three fifth year players: Mikaelyn Sych (Airdrie, AB), Jessica Bailey (Surrey, BC) and Michaella Crema (Surrey, BC) will also be recognized.

They will be shown on a pay-per view basis on Canada West TV presented by Co-op.  You can access them by accessing: https://cw.yaretv.com/.  

James Matthews and former WolfPack women's volleyball setter Katie Mathews (Woo): the only husband/wife webcasting crew in the Canada West will have the call of the matches. CFJC TV's Dylana Milobar  is the in game host both  matches.

Results will be available on the WolfPack social media platforms and their website  www.goWolfPack.ca.


History:

The teams met last year in Langley (Jan 18-19, 2019).  The Spartans won both ends of the weekend series taking the first match on the Friday 3-1 (25-11,22-25,25-14,25,17). Finch had 13 kills in 34 chances for TRU while Olga Savenchuk (2^nd year, outside hitter, Donetsk, Ukraine) had 10 kills in 32 swings and Anastasiia Muzyka (3^rd year, setter, Polawa, Ukraine) had 28 assists. Howe had 22 kills in 45 chances for Trinity.

On the Saturday, the scores were 25-20,25-23,25-18 for Trinity. Finch and Savenchuk had eight kills each for the Pack. Muzyka had 24 assists.  Howe garnered 10 kills for the Spartans.

It was nearly two years ago (Feb 16-17, 2018) that these two schools ended the Canada West regular season at the TCC.  Again, the Spartans swept both matches.  On the Friday (Feb 16), the teams went five sets before Trinity prevailed 22-25,23-25,25-19,25-22,15-10.   The Saturday match went four sets with the Spartans prevailing 25-17,25-23,21-25,25-15.

Players to Watch

Trinity Western:

Hilary Howe: leads the Spartans in kills (289), second in service aces (44) and fourth in digs (124). She is 23^rd all time in Canada West kills (946) and in career points (1163.5, 22^nd in all time service aces (109)
Avery Heppell (3^rd year middle/right side, Langley, BC): fifth in Canada West in service aces per set (0.60). She is eighth all time in total blocks (1,184) and 26^th all time in service aces (101).
Mikaelyn Syth (5^th year, middle, Airdrie, AB): leads Canada West in blocks per set (1.31) and the team in total blocks (88)
Dora Komlodi (3^rd year, setter, Calgary, AB): second in Canada West in service aces per set (0.58). She tied for 14^th all time in Canada West service aces in a season (44).
Savannah Purdy (2^nd year, outside hitter, Victoria, BC): second on team in kills (149) and third in digs (127)
 
Thompson Rivers:

Kendra Finch:  Is fourth in Canada West all time digs (1252) and 28 th in career service aces (97), she was Canada West second star of the week (Nov 19).   Leads team in kills (257) and digs (269).
Ksenya Kocyigit :  leads the Pack in 31 service aces and total blocks (87), third on the team in kills (170)
Anastasiia Muzyka: leads the team with 442 assists and is third in service aces (24)
Olga Savenchuk:  second on the team in digs (205), third in total blocks (48) and kills (218)
Hali Drezet (4^th year, libero, Prince George, BC): third on the team in digs (169)
Abby Spratt: (4^th year, setter, Calgary, AB): is  14^th in Canada West history in set assists per set (8,547), 23^rd in Canada West all-time assists (2003) and 27^th in career service aces (99). She is second on the team in assists (362) and in service aces (26)
 
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK HEAD COACH CHAD GRIMM:
 
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1227770150285234177