MVB Quarter-final Preview
Get ready for four can't miss best-of-three series
Article by Brian Swane, special to CW
Feb. 26, 2026 - Eight teams remain in the 2026 Canada West men’s volleyball playoffs, vying to advance to the Final Four.
In best-of-three quarterfinal series this week, the top-seeded UBC Thunderbirds take on the Calgary Dinos, while the defending champion Winnipeg Wesmen tangle with the Alberta Golden Bears, the Trinty Western Spartans host the Saskatchewan Huskies, and the UBCO Heat meet the Manitoba Bisons. The series begin Thursday and are available to watch live and on demand at Canada West TV.
Alberta, Manitoba, Trinity Western, UBC, UBCO, and Winnipeg are ready for action after having a bye week following the end of the regular season. The playoffs opened last week with Saskatchewan sweeping the Brandon Bobcats and Calgary getting past the rival Mount Royal Cougars 2-1 in the best-of-three play-in round.
In a battle of the last two Canada West men’s volleyball champs, the Golden Bears, who captured the title in 2024, will look to end Winnipeg’s quest for a repeat. These teams haven’t seen each other since the 2025 championship final, which the Wesmen won 3-0 on their home court to capture their first ever conference crown.
Another rematch from the 2025 postseason sees the Huskies visit the Spartans, and if this series is anything like their quarterfinal battle last year, which went the full three games, it will be barn-burner: Saskatchewan won that series, but had the benefit of home advantage, whereas this time the setting is Langley.
The Thunderbirds haven’t lost a game since Nov. 14 and were unstoppable during the regular season at War Memorial Gym, where they went 9-0 while dropping just five sets. That’s not good news for Calgary, particularly given its 0-10 road record in the regular season. However, the Dinos did go into Mount Royal and win twice last week to advance to the quarterfinal.
It will be a historic occasion in Kelowna, where UBCO is hosting a Canada West men’s volleyball postseason series for the first time in program history, against Manitoba. This season saw both the Heat and Bisons make massive strides, increasing their win totals by six and five, respectively, from 2024-25 when both went 9-11.
Be sure to check out WinTheWest.ca for recaps and highlights from each game.
UBC Thunderbirds (19-1) vs. Calgary Dinos (8-12 regular season, 2-1 playoffs) at War Memorial Gymnasium in Vancouver
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, February 26 – 7:30 p.m. PST
- Game 2 – Friday, February 27 – 7:30 p.m. PST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, February 28 – 7:30 p.m. PST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Jan. 23: UBC 3 at Calgary 1
- Jan. 24: UBC 3 at Calgary 0
Trinity Western Spartans (17-3) vs. Saskatchewan Huskies (9-11 regular season, 2-0 playoffs) at Langley Events Centre in Langley
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, February 26 – 8:30 p.m. PST
- Game 2 – Friday, February 27 – 9:30 p.m. PST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, February 28 – 9:30 p.m. PST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Feb. 6: Trinity Western 3 vs. Saskatchewan 1
- Feb. 7: Trinity Western 3 vs. Saskatchewan 0
Alberta Golden Bears (15-5) vs. Winnipeg Wesmen (11-9) at Saville Centre in Edmonton
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, February 26 – 8:00 p.m. MST
- Game 2 – Friday, February 27 – 8:00 p.m. MST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, February 28 – 7:00 p.m. MST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Did not play
UBCO Heat (15-5) vs. Manitoba Bisons (14-6) at UBCO Gymnasium in Kelowna
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Friday, February 27 – 6:30 p.m. PST
- Game 2 – Saturday, February 28 – 6:30 p.m. PST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Sunday, March 1 – 5:30 p.m. PST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Oct. 17: UBCO 3 at Manitoba 2
- Oct. 18: UBCO 3 at Manitoba 1