After defeating #6 Alberta over the Feb. 14-16 weekend at home in conference quarterfinal series, the #5 Manitoba Bisons women's volleyball team (regular season: 14-8 record; playoffs: 2-0) advance to the Canada West Final Four in UBC as the third seed and will play the #3 and second seed Trinity Western Spartans (regular season: 17-5 record; playoffs: 2-0) in playoff action.
The Bisons play Trinity on Friday, February 21 at 10 p.m. CT (live webcast on: canadawest.tv) with the winner of the playoff match moving to the gold medal match while the loser will play in the bronze medal match on Saturday, February 22.
The Top 3 at the Canada West Final Four will secure a 2014 CIS Championship berth. Also at the Final Four is host #1 and CIS champion UBC plus UBC Okanagan.
During this season, Manitoba went 0-2 against Trinity Western at home (L 3-0 on Nov. 29/13; L 3-2 on Nov. 30/13). Against UBC Okanagan, the Herd went 1-1 at home (W 3-0 on Jan. 31/14; L 3-2 on Feb. 1/14) while Manitoba was 0-2 versus UBC on the road (L 3-2 on Nov. 1/13; L 3-0 on Nov. 2/13).
Since the start of the second half of the 2013-14 season, the Bisons have now gone 10-2 while Trinity went 11-1. The Spartans entered conference play in 1999-00 season and Manitoba has played them three times so far in the playoffs and hold a 1-2 post-season record (lost match 3-2 at 2007 CIS Championship; lost 2-0 in quarterfinal series in 2008-09; won match 3-2 in 2010 Canada West Final Four).
The last time Manitoba has medalled at the Canada West Final Four was the 2009-10 season when they hosted and defeated Trinity 3-2 in the first match before finishing with a Canada West silver medal in a 3-2 match loss vs. UBC held at home.
Bison women's volleyball - 2014 Canada West Final Four schedule
Date Game Central Time Place
Fri., February 21 Manitoba vs. Trinity Western 10 p.m. UBC
Sat., February 22 Bronze medal match 8 p.m. UBC
Sat., February 22 Gold medal match 10 p.m. UBC
