Bisons host Saskatchewan in critical weekend series

Familiar foes Manitoba and Saskatchewan meet this weekend for the first time since their Canada West bronze medal tilt last March, won by the Bisons 3-1. Game times are Friday at 7:45 pm and Saturday at 5:45 pm CT. Click here for tickets. 

The 9-5 Huskies enter the weekend just two points ahead of the 8-4 Bisons for fourth in the conference standings. The top four teams earn a bye to the Canada West quarterfinals. Manitoba is fresh off a series sweep of Mount Royal which improved their record to 28-6 in the second half of the conference season over the last three years (the team qualified for nationals in each of those seasons). 

The Herd will look to continue their second half success with a roster that includes six players who saw time against the U of S in last year's bronze medal game. One of those players was Raya Surinx, who went off for a game-high 25 kills and a .426 hitting percentage.

The back-to-back U SPORTS Player of the Year is having another stellar season for Manitoba in 2025-26. This past weekend, she broke the school record (rally scoring era) for career regular season aces, with 154, only a few weeks after breaking the rally scoring era record for career kills (currently at 1,523). Surinx also owns the Bisons rally scoring era record for career regular season points, with 1,380, which ranks tenth in Canada West history. That total is just 187.5 shy of Alberta's Kory White for the conference record, established in 2022. 

Surinx can eclipse another significant milestone this weekend if she's able to amass 11 kills. That total would put her at 1,175 in her career in the regular season, breaking a 12-year rally scoring era program record held by Rachel Cockrell. 

Elsewhere, right side Ella Gray, one of the other Bisons who saw action against the Huskies last year, is coming off a 16-kill weekend against Mount Royal which included a .450 hitting percentage on Saturday. Overcoming an early season injury, the senior recorded 14.5 total points in the weekend set, eclipsing 600 career regular season kills along the way. She needs just 16 kills to reach 800 for her career (regular season, exhibition and playoffs).

Middle Eve Catojo -- who hit .375 with eight kills in last year's bronze medal game -- is also coming off a notable showing last weekend. She became the first Bison in the rally scoring era to surpass 300 career regular season blocks, and her .364 hitting percentage is currently second in Canada West. She's also the program leader in career hitting percentage, at .349, aided by a .643 hitting percentage in last Friday's win against MRU, where she amassed nine kills. 

Fellow middle Aviendah Plett hit .800 against MRU last Saturday, while the versatile Bethany Carter is coming off her best weekend of the year, with 16 combined kills and 24 digs. Meanwhile, true freshman setter Julia Martens enters play fourth in Canada West with 9.24 assists per set. 

The Huskies -- who have nationals experience from last year -- counter with an experienced unit that also returns six players who saw notable time against Manitoba in last year's conference playoffs. 

Their unit -- which has eight seniors overall -- is anchored by veteran setter Tielle Hagel, who's second in the conference in assists, with 463. She's balanced out Saskatchewan's attack well, with four players recording at least 90 kills in Jessica Bergstrom, Rosetta Cyr, Keely Anderson and Taryn Hannah. 

Outside hitter Hannah leads the charge with 141 kills, and she was also the Huskie's best attacker against Manitoba a year ago, with 16 kills. 

The key factor in the game could be both side's back row play.

Saskatchewan willed their way to nationals last year in part due to their consistent defence, and they're at the top of the conference in digs this year, with 737. Four different players on their roster have over 100 digs, including Anderson, Hagel and Hannah, while libero Mary Rioflorido leads the conference with 170 digs. 

For Manitoba, libero Chelsea Siebenga is fifth in digs per set, at 3.30, while Surinx has 99 digs, just one shy of 100 for the fourth consecutive season.