CW BioSteel Players of the Week: Feb. 17
Top performers recognized across Canada West
Feb. 17, 2026 - Championship hardware was handed out on the mat, playoff races were settled in volleyball and hockey, and the basketball postseason tipped off as the Canada West calendar delivered another packed weekend of action.
Here are some of the key storylines from around the conference:
- The 2026 CW Wrestling Championships took place in Edmonton, where the Calgary Dinos women claimed their third consecutive team title. On the men’s side, Saskatchewan captured its first conference crown since 2020, ending Alberta’s four-year run atop the podium. Individually, Calgary’s Maya Johnston was named the women’s Athlete of the Year, while Alberta’s Thomas Rousseau earned top honours on the men’s side.
- Postseason drama was front and centre in basketball, with several tight matchups across the opening play-in and quarterfinal rounds. In women’s action, top-seeded UBC erased a double-digit deficit to survive a scare against Alberta. The Thunderbirds will now host Regina in the semifinals, while undefeated Saskatchewan welcomes Calgary in the other matchup. On the men’s side, the bracket held firm as all four top seeds advanced. Winnipeg will host UBC in one semifinal, while Alberta heads to the island to face Victoria.
- In hockey, the race for home ice advantage came down to the wire. Mount Royal’s men swept Saskatchewan to jump into first place in the East Division, earning a first-round bye. The Cougars women also secured top spot in their division. The final women’s playoff berth in the East was decided as well, with Manitoba finishing two points clear of Saskatchewan to clinch a postseason spot.
- The volleyball playoff picture is now set heading into next weekend’s best-of-three play-in series. On the women’s side, Winnipeg will host Calgary, while MacEwan travels to Fraser Valley. In men’s competition, Brandon heads to Saskatchewan, and Mount Royal hosts Calgary in a playoff edition of the Crowchild Classic.
Let's get to our BioSteel Players of the Week.
Women's Basketball - Olivia Weekes (UBC Thunderbirds)
Feb. 15 QF vs ALB: 21 pts, 6/13 fg (46.2%), 11 reb, 3 ast, 6 steals, 2 blocks in 75-69 win
One of the conference's biggest offensive threats served up one of her best performances of the season when it mattered most. Olivia Weekes delivered a double-double to help lead the T-Birds into the conference semifinals for a second straight year.
The fifth-year guard from Winnipeg scored a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds versus the Alberta Pandas on Sunday afternoon, also adding a career-high six steals. 14 of her points came in the second half, leading the charge as the T-Birds overcame a double-digit deficit to win a thriller.
Weekes and the top-seeded T-Birds will now host the No. 4-seeded Regina Cougars on Friday night at War Memorial Gym for a berth in the conference final and a spot at the upcoming U SPORTS National Championship.
View Women's Basketball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Men's Basketball - Isaac Simon (Alberta Golden Bears)
Feb. 14 QF vs UFV: 19 pts, 8/16 shooting, 5 ast, 4 reb, 2 steals in 80-66 win
Powering the Golden Bears to a decisive win over Fraser Valley in the conference quarterfinal, fourth-year guard Isaac Simon is peaking at the right time of year.
Simon scored 19 points in just 25 minutes of action on Saturday, as Alberta cruised past the Cascades in a 14-point win. The Bears led by as many as 20 points in the game, thanks in large part to Simon's complete performance. He added four rebounds, two steals, and a team-high five assists, all while shooting 50% (8/16) from the field.
Next up, the Bears will head to Victoria next Friday for a clash against the Vikes in the CW Semifinal.
View Men's Basketball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Women's Hockey - Julia Bird (Manitoba Bisons)
Feb. 13 vs CGY: 1 goal, 3 shots, +1 in 3-2 OT win
Feb. 14 vs CGY: 1 goal, 6 shots, +1 in 5-0 win
Assistant captain Julia Bird capped her regular season home career in style with a two-goal weekend, helping the Manitoba Bisons clinch a playoff berth for the third year in a row.
Bird got the scoring started in Friday's 3-2 OT win, and she led the team in the shots the following evening while adding her second goal of the weekend. Bird finished the regular season with 12 goals, which led Manitoba and was tied for second in Canada West. Her 12 goals were also the fifth-most in a season for the program.
View Women's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Men's Hockey - Teague Patton (Mount Royal Cougars)
Feb. 13 vs SSK: 4 shots in 3-2 win
Feb. 14 vs SSK: 2 goals, 1 assist, 4 shots in 6-4 win
Teague Patton was instrumental to the MRU Cougars division-clinching weekend. He had four shots in a 3-2 Cougars win over Saskatchewan on Friday, a victory that set the stage for a first place showdown on Saturday.
Patton stepped up in the regular season finale, leading MRU to a 6-4 win that clinched first place in the East Division and the first round playoff bye that comes with it. He snapped an eight-game goalless drought by notching a pair of tallies in the contest, also adding an assist on Kyle Walker’s game-winning goal.
View Men's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Women's Volleyball - Talia Attieh (Fraser Valley Cascades)
Feb. 13 vs MAN: 8 kills, 3 digs, four blocks in 3-0 loss
Feb. 14 vs MAN: 11 kills, 18 total attacks, 0 errors, .611 hitting percentage, 1 ace, 7 digs, 3 blocks, in 3-0 win
Talia Attieh was instrumental in the Cascades' straight-sets win over the Manitoba Bisons on Saturday.
Rebounding off a 3-0 loss the previous night, Attieh delivered an all-time performance on the right side, with 11 kills and 0 errors as UFV took down the No. 9 ranked team in the country, sending her team into the playoffs on a high. The Cascades will host MacEwan in the best-of-three play-in round, beginning Friday night in Abbotsford.
View Women's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
Men's Volleyball - Alex Borowski (UBC Thunderbirds)
Feb. 13 vs UBCO: 11 kills, .556 hitting %, 2 aces, 5 digs, 13 points in 3-0 win
Feb. 14 vs UBCO: 20 kills, .600 hitting %, 5 digs, 22 points in 3-1 win
Alex Borowski made a statement with a combined 31 kills and an impressive .583 attacking percentage to lead the T-Birds to a season-ending weekend sweep over the UBCO Heat.
The second-year outside hitter went off in Saturday's regular season finale with a career-high 20 kills and 22 points, helping extend the T-Birds' win streak to 13 matches heading into the playoffs.
View Men's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders
About Players of the Week:
The Canada West Players of the Week, Presented by BioSteel is a weekly celebration of athletic achievements across the conference. Each week, deserving student-athletes are nominated by SIDs from each member institution. Canada West office staff review nominations and select the recipients.
About BioSteel:
BioSteel is a leading sports hydration and nutrition brand, delivering clean, high-performance solutions trusted by professional athletes, top universities, and teams across North America and Europe, including major organizations like the NHL, MLB, NFL, MLS, NBA, and their affiliates. Alongside hydration, BioSteel offers premium protein and sports nutrition products, catering to athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and those striving for a healthier lifestyle. Committed to excellence, BioSteel equips top athletes and active individuals with the essential tools to reach peak performance and sustain wellness every day.
About Canada West:
As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university level high performance sports programs throughout western Canada.