WVB Quarter-final Preview
Four best-of-three series begin Thursday night
Article by Brian Swane, special to CW
Feb. 26, 2026 - After a fantastic play-in round, the 2026 Canada West women’s volleyball playoffs continue this week, with quarter-final action across the conference.
In best-of-three series running Thursday through Saturday, the Alberta Pandas take on the Winnipeg Wesmen, the UBC Thunderbirds battle the UFV Cascades, the Trinity Western Spartans host the Saskatchewan Huskies, and the Manitoba Bisons visit the Thompson Rivers WolfPack.
The postseason opened last week, when Winnipeg got past the Calgary Dinos and UFV knocked off the MacEwan Griffins in a pair of play-in series that both needed three games to be decided. Quarter-final winners will advance to the 2026 Canada West Women’s Volleyball Final Four.
In Edmonton, the reigning champs from Alberta begin their title defence against Winnipeg. These teams also faced each other in the quarter-final round last year, when the Pandas swept the series on their home court with 3-0 and 3-1 wins.
Another postseason rematch will take place in Langley between Saskatchewan and Trinity Western, who tangled in a back-and-forth play-in series last year that ultimately saw the host Huskies prevail in three games, beginning their magical run to the Final Four and a U SPORTS nationals berth. The Spartans will be eager to flip the script with home court advantage this season, as the team looks forward to hosting the 2026 U SPORTS national championship.
One of the most intriguing series will see the WolfPack face the Bisons, who won the conference championship in 2024. While Thompson Rivers and Manitoba finished the regular season with identical 14-6 records, the WolfPack won all six sets the teams played against each other in late November.
Just like the Bisons, UFV will be looking to flip the script from a lopsided regular season series when it takes on a dangerous UBC side. The Thunderbirds and Cascades met for a pair of games only three weeks ago in Abbotsford, where the visitors won 3-1 and 3-0.
Fans can catch all the playoff action, both live and on demand, streaming at Canada West TV - Powered by BioSteel.
Be sure to check out WinTheWest.ca for recaps and highlights from each game.
Alberta Pandas (18-2) vs. Winnipeg Wesmen (8-12 regular season, 2-1 playoffs) at Saville Centre in Edmonton
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, February 26 – 6 p.m. MST
- Game 2 – Friday, February 27 – 6 p.m. MST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, February 28 – 5 p.m. MST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Jan. 23: Alberta 3 vs. Winnipeg 1
- Jan. 24: Alberta 3 vs. Winnipeg 0
UBC Thunderbirds (17-3) vs. UFV Cascades (10-10 regular season, 2-1 playoffs) at War Memorial Gymnasium in Vancouver
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, February 26 – 5:30 p.m. PST
- Game 2 – Friday, February 27 – 5:30 p.m. PST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, February 28 – 5:30 p.m. PST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Feb. 6: UBC 3 at UFV 1
- Feb. 7: UBC 3 at UFV 0
Trinity Western Spartans (15-5) vs. Saskatchewan Huskies (12-8) at Langley Events Centre in Langley
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, February 26 – 6 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:
- Did not play
Thompson Rivers WolfPack (14-6) vs. Manitoba Bisons (14-6) at Tournament Capital Centre in Kelowna
Series schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, February 26 – 6 p.m. PST
- Game 2 – Friday, February 27 – 6 p.m. PST
- Game 3 (if necessary) – Saturday, February 28 – 6 p.m. PST
Regular season head-to-head:
- Nov. 28: Thompson Rivers 3 vs. Manitoba 0
- Nov. 29: Thompson Rivers 3 vs. Manitoba 0