MVB: Quarterfinal Preview
Fans are in for a treat with four riveting matchups
Article by Brian Swane, special to CW
Feb. 27, 2025 - The 2025 Canada West men’s volleyball playoffs continue this week, with four quarterfinal round matchups in four provinces across the conference.
Manitoba takes on Winnipeg, Alberta battles Calgary, UBC hosts Brandon, and Trinity Western visits Saskatchewan in best-of-three series running Thursday through Saturday.
The postseason began last weekend with the play-in round, which saw Calgary and Manitoba sweep and UFV and UBC Okanagan, respectively, in best-of-three series.
With the playoff field now reduced to eight, expect fierce competition, not to mention juicy subplots. For starters, the quarterfinal round brings not only a cross-town rivalry, between Manitoba and Winnipeg, but a storied provincial rivalry, between Alberta and Calgary.
Speaking of familiar faces, the Huskies and Spartans faced off in a pair of matches just two weeks ago at the end of the regular season, with each beating the other 3-0 in Langley. This time the scene shifts from the pacific to the prairies.
Alberta is seeking to win a third straight conference title, a feat last accomplished in Canada West by Trinity Western from 2016 to 2018. The Golden Bears and Spartans have combined to win 10 of the last 12 conference championships, with Brandon winning the other two.
The Bobcats are taking on a T-Birds team that seeks its first conference title since 1986. These teams last met in the playoffs eight years ago, when UBC swept past Brandon in the quarterfinal round.
Winnipeg is the only remaining team that has never won a Canada West title, but the Wesmen finished atop the regular season standings for the first time ever to earn the No. 1 seed for the playoffs, and now look to continue their historic season with an equally historic postseason run.
Catch all the playoff action at Canada West TV - Powered by BioSteel.
No. 1 Winnipeg Wesmen (17-3) vs. No. 8 Manitoba Bisons (9-11 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
📍 Duckworth Centre in Winnipeg
- Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, Feb. 27 – 7 p.m. CST
- Game 2 – Friday, Feb. 28 – 7 p.m. CST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, March 1 – 7 p.m. CST
- Regular season head-to-head:
- Jan. 30: Manitoba 2 at Winnipeg 3
- Feb. 1: Winnipeg 3 at Manitoba 1
- Who to watch:
- Isaiah Olfert (Winnipeg, fifth year, outside) followed up last year’s Canada West First Team All-Star selection by leading the conference with 704 total attacks this season.
- Jordan Heppner (Manitoba, third year, middle) set a playoff record for his team last Friday with nine assisted blocks in Manitoba’s play-in round victory over UBC Okanagan.
No. 2 Alberta Golden Bears (16-4) vs. No. 7 Calgary Dinos (9-11 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
📍 Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton
- Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, Feb. 27 – 8 p.m. MST
- Game 2 – Friday, Feb. 28 – 8 p.m. MST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, March 1 – 8 p.m. MST
- Regular season head-to-head:
- Nov. 22: Calgary 1 at Alberta 3
- Nov. 23: Calgary 0 at Alberta 3
- Who to watch:
- Isaac Heslinga (Alberta, fourth year, outside) led Canada West in both kills per set, averaging 4.59, and points per set, averaging 5.2, for a second consecutive season.
- Louis Kunstmann (Calgary, fourth year, outside) recorded a match-high 22 kills and 5 blocks in Calgary’s series-clinching victory over UFV in the play-in round last Friday.
No. 3 UBC Thunderbirds (15-5) vs. No. 6 Brandon Bobcats (10-10)
📍 War Memorial Gym in Vancouver
- Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, Feb. 27 – 7 p.m. PST
- Game 2 – Friday, Feb. 28 – 7:30 p.m. PST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, March 1 – 8 p.m. PST
- Regular season head-to-head:
- Oct. 31: Brandon 1 at UBC 3
- Nov. 1: Brandon 1 at UBC 3
- Who to watch:
- Gavin Moes (UBC, third year, outside) totalled 71 total attacks, 30 kills, 6 service aces, 9 digs, and 37 points from UBC’s two victories over Brandon during the regular season.
- Philipp Lauter (Brandon, fourth year, middle) led Canada West with a hitting percentage of .476 in the 2024 playoffs and recorded a conference-high 84 total blocks this season.
No. 4 Saskatchewan Huskies (14-6) vs. No. 5 Trinity Western Spartans (12-8)
📍 University of Saskatchewan Physical Activity Complex in Saskatoon
- Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, Feb. 27 – 7 p.m. CST
- Game 2 – Friday, Feb. 28 – 7 p.m. CST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, March 1 – 3 p.m. CST
- Regular season head-to-head:
- Feb. 14: Saskatchewan 0 at Trinity Western 3
- Feb. 15: Saskatchewan 3 at Trinity Western 0
- Who to watch:
- Emmett Graham (Saskatchewan, fourth year, right side) notched 13 kills, giving him a team-high 255, as the Huskies swept Trinity Western in their regular season finale.
- Piers De Greeff (Trinity Western, second year, outside) built upon his 2023-24 Canada West Rookie of the Year campaign by recording 263 kills, fourth most in the conference.