WVB Play-In Round Preview
Calgary battles Winnipeg in a play-in round rematch, while UFV hosts MacEwan
Article by Brian Swane, special to CW
Feb. 18, 2026 - The Canada West women’s volleyball postseason gets underway this week, with a pair of play-in round tilts that pit familiar foes against one another.
In best-of-three series running Thursday through Saturday, the No. 7 seeded UFV Cascades will host the No. 10 seed MacEwan Griffins, while the No. 9 Calgary Dinos visit the No. 8 Winnipeg Wesmen.
It was only 12 months ago that Calgary and Winnipeg met in the play-in round at Duckworth Centre, where the host Wesmen swept the series with wins of 3-2 and 3-0. Calgary’s had its troubles against Winnipeg in recent years but enter this series with newfound confidence after ending a seven-match losing streak to the Wesmen with a 3-0 victory on the road during the regular season.
UFV and MacEwan, meanwhile, battled each other in the playoffs just two years ago, when the Cascades swept the Griffins in a best-of-3 quarterfinal series with a pair of 3-1 victories. The Griffins are not only looking for the program’s first ever Canada West playoff win, but their first victory over the Cascades in any competition since UFV became a part of Canada West women’s volleyball in 2021-22.
The winners of the play-in will advance to the quarterfinal round, joining the top six teams from the regular season standings: the Alberta Pandas, UBC Thunderbirds, Trinity Western Spartans, Thompson Rivers Wolfpack, Manitoba Bisons and Saskatchewan Huskies. Catch all the playoff action, both live and on demand, streaming at Canada West TV - Powered by BioSteel.
No. 8 Winnipeg Wesmen vs. No. 9 Calgary Dinos
Hosted at Duckworth Centre in Winnipeg, Man.
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, Feb. 19 – 6 p.m. CST
- Game 2 – Friday, Feb. 20 – 6 p.m. CST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, Feb. 21 – 4 p.m. CST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Nov. 21: Calgary 0 at Winnipeg 3
- Nov. 22: Calgary 3 at Winnipeg 0
Winnipeg facts & stats
- Season record: 8-12, 25 points (8th in standings)
- Head Coach: Phil Hudson (7th year)
- Season leaders: middle Grace Vallis (.304 hitting percentage), left side Brooke Duncalfe (4.1 points per set)
- Canada West Championships: none
Calgary facts & stats
- Season record: 8-12, 23 points (9th in standings)
- Head Coach: Christine Biggs (6th year)
- Season leaders: middle Leni Blanke (.195 hitting percentage), outside hitter Sophia Hansen (4.1 points per set)
- Canada West Championships: 8 (1982, 1983, 1985, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2018)
No. 7 UFV Cascades vs. No. 10 MacEwan Griffins
Hosted at UFV Athletic Centre in Abbotsford, B.C.
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Friday, Feb. 20 – 6 p.m. PST
- Game 2 – Saturday, Feb. 21 – 6 p.m. PST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Sunday, Feb. 22 – 3 p.m. PST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Did not play
MacEwan facts & stats
- Season record: 7-13, 22 points (10th in standings)
- Head Coach: Chris Wandler (3rd year)
- Season leader: outside hitter Alyshia Bryks (.176 hitting percentage, 3.8 points per set)
- Canada West Championships: none
UFV facts & stats
- Season record: 10-10, 28 points (7th in standings)
- Head Coach: Janelle Rozema (7th year)
- Season leader: outside hitter Talia Attieh (.258 hitting percentage, 3.7 points per set)
- Canada West Championships: none