After a bevy of bye weeks, Bisons volleyball, basketball, and hockey are all earnestly in action this weekend.

At home, the volleyball and women's hockey teams are turning back the clock and celebrating the past. Friday it's on the court, as Manitoba hosts Trinity Western on Retro Night. Saturday, women's hockey has their annual Alumni Night, while letting the future of the sport have some fun too with the post-game Skate with the Bisons.

On the road, basketball tests perfect records against Lethbridge while men's hockey renews a rivalry with the U of S Huskies. Let's get set in the weekend preview.

Volleyball vs. Trinity Western – November 15 (6/7:45 PM), November 16 (5/6:45 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
UPDATES: follow @BisonMVB and @BisonWVB on Twitter

Both Bisons men and women will have win streaks and solid defence put to the test, as the Trinity Western Spartans arrive to play in IGAC.

Winners of three straight matches, the Bisons men (3-1) return from a bye week to the challenge of facing the nation's No. 1 team, as the Spartans (5-1) come to town.

The Bisons have been solid defensively through four matches, as third-year setter Kyle Martens leads the conference in digs per set (2.94) and second-year Zach Janzen is second in blocks per set (1.25). As expected before the season, the leader of Manitoba's attack is fifth-year Kevin Negus, who has averaged 3.31 kills per set (9^th in CW) but only at a .176 percentage. Still, Negus has rounded out his performance with 18 total blocks — the highest among the top ten players in kills per set in the conference.

The Spartans, meanwhile, return most of the core that won them the national championship in 2018-19. Trinity has three hitters in the conference's top 20 in kills per set, led by Steinbach, Manitoba native Eric Loeppky, who was the U SPORTS championship MVP last spring. Loeppky is currently fifth in CW in kills per set (3.47) but is doing so at a fiery .424 percentage.

The Bisons women (2-4), meanwhile, are coming off their first wins of the season against Regina as they host the No. 2 ranked Spartans (6-0).

Early on this season, 33-year head coach Ken Bentley has been experimental with the Bisons lineups, as the team introduced ten first-years on to the roster this off-season. Last weekend, that started to pay off through the play of rookie middle Keziah Hoeppner, who had her first two starts against the Cougars and recorded 17 kills, 24 digs, and nine blocks over the pair of four-set wins.

Hoeppner and the play of other young players lifts the ceiling of the veteran core, where fourth-year Kearley Abbott is leading the team in kills per set at 2.69 (12^th in CW). Fifth-year middle Allison Alcock is also coming off the best weekend of her season early on, as she combined for 24 kills and 12 blocks in Regina, hitting a season-high .500 percentage on Friday.

That all will be put to the test against the undefeated Spartans, who boast one of the strongest players in the nation in fourth-year Hillary Howe. Howe is currently second in Canada West in kills per set at 4.63 while hitting an exceptional .288.

Bisons volleyball tickets are $10 at the door, with UM students and fans 12-and-under in free! At Friday's alumni games, all UM alumni get in 2-for-1. Bisons merchandise will be on sale for Friday's games besides the ticketing area!

Women's Hockey vs. Saskatchewan – November 15 (7 PM), November 16 (4 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
LISTEN: UMFM second stream (Friday), UMFM 101.5 (Saturday)
UPDATES: follow @umbisonsWHKY on Twitter

Bisons women's hockey (2-7-0-1) will look to bounce back from a losing skid this weekend as they host rival Saskatchewan (5-3-1-1) at Wayne Fleming Arena.

Scoreless in four straight games dating back to October 19, the Bisons will be keying in on their offence to jumpstart them against the Huskies. Manitoba has scored a conference-low nine goals in ten games so far, but defensively have held up well — allowing just 20 goals for the sixth best mark in Canada West.

Fourth-year defenceman Jenai Buchanan continues to lead the team in points with five (two goals, three assists) and will be a critical component in improving Manitoba's power play, which is operating at just 7% (3-for-43) so far this year.

Saskatchewan, meanwhile, are in the middle of the standings but have had one of the more effective special teams in the conference. They have converted on a second-best 19.4% of their power plays, with forward Shyan Elias leading the team with four goals — three with the man advantage.

Bisons hockey tickets are $10 at the door, with UM students and fans 12-and-under in free! At Saturday's alumni game, all UM alumni get in 2-for-1.

Saturday is also Skate with the Bisons — kids with skates and a helmet can join the women's hockey team for a post-game skate on the Wayne Fleming Arena ice! There will also be a toque giveaway and a Jets jersey draw, courtesy of Play it Again Sports.

Basketball at Lethbridge – November 15 (7/9 PM), November 16 (6/8 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
UPDATES: follow @BisonWBB and @BisonMBB on Twitter

Bisons men's and women's basketball take undefeated starts into Alberta for meaningful games against the Lethbridge Pronghorns this weekend.

For the Bisons women (2-0), it's a rematch of last season's Canada West play-in game, one Manitoba lost 99-60. This season the goal is to advance past that stage, with Lethbridge (3-1) as one of the teams that could end up in their way once again.

So far, the scoring touch of Bisons fourth-year Taylor Randall has been effective. The Dundas, Ontario native is second in the conference averaging 20.0 points per game, shooting 35.1% from the field. Lethbridge is led in scoring by Katie Keith (13.8 PPG) as the Pronghorns have had a fiery start from distance, averaging 35.7% on three-pointers (3^rd in CW).

The Bisons men (2-0) go up against a Pronghorns team (1-3) that's had a challenging start to the season, getting swept by the ranked Golden Bears before a split with the Brandon Bobcats in WestMan. Back home and playing the Bisons, the Pronghorns will be hoping an opportunistic defence that averages 9.3 steals per game can be effective.

For Manitoba, there's still a buzz after fifth-year Rashawn Browne dropped 40 points in his last outing against UBC Okanagan. Still the conference leader in scoring at 29.0 PPG, Browne has shot 50% from the field, 46.2% from three, and 88.9% at the line — a remarkable stat line through two games.

Men's Hockey at Saskatchewan – November 15 (7 PM), November 16 (7 PM)

WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
UPDATES: follow @umbisonsMHKY on Twitter

Splits have been the story for Bisons men's hockey (5-4-1) so far this season, as they've won a game in each of their first five series this season while losing the other. This has them in the thick of the playoff bubble as we approach the end of the first half, just under their opponent this week, the Saskatchewan Huskies (5-3-2).

Manitoba has had different heroes at the skater positions, but one of their most consistent performers has been rookie Riley Lamb in net. Leading the conference with 305 saves and marking a 5-2-1 record in eight starts, Lamb has been a regular on team highlight reels with his timely saves, and faces an established goalie on the other end this weekend in Taran Kozun (2.86 GAA, .891 SV%).

The leading offensive threat for U of S through ten games has been forward Carter Folk, who's tied for second in Canada West with seven goals. The Bisons' top producer has been on the blue line, as fifth-year Adam Henry is up to five goals and six assists this season, third for points among conference defencemen.

Notes from the Range

• Bisons men's and women's swimming are also hosting the Sprint IM Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at Pan Am Pool. Varsity Bisons and Junior Bisons will be in competition in multiple events, as they prepare for conference championships next weekend.
• Plenty of profiles to enjoy this week, as staff writer Mike Still talked to men's volleyballers Jack Mandryk and Owen Schwartz about their off-court friendship, men's basketball forward Cam O'Hara about finding success in the finer details, and women's hockey blue liner Jenai Buchanan about how her small town background set her up for success today.