Winners of five in a row against MRU, women's volleyball look to keep momentum going this weekend

Entering the second half of their season in a playoff position at 6-4 (just five points shy of a top four seed), the Bisons will look to climb up higher in the standings when they host the 2-8 Mount Royal Cougars. Game times are 7:45 and 5:45 pm on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Click here for tickets. 

Manitoba's won their last five games in a row against MRU, including a two-game sweep in the Canada West quarterfinals last season. During those two matchups, Bisons outside hitter Raya Surinx recorded a combined 38 kills, and she's amassed a total of 93 kills in the Herd's five total wins against the Cougars dating back to March of 2023. 

Surinx -- second in Canada West with 149 kills, and leading the conference with 4.26 kills per set -- comes into the weekend approaching two more notable career milestones. Already the rally scoring era program record holder for career kills, with 1,523, she enters play just 44 shy of the rally scoring era record for career regular season kills. Rachel Cockrell currently holds that mark, at 1,174. Surinx is also one ace shy of setting a new rally scoring era program record. She currently has 150 entering this weekend. 

Senior middle blocker Eve Catojo is also on the verge of history entering weekend play. She needs just one block to become the only player in the rally scoring era in program history to amass 300 career in the regular season. She is currently tied with Jordana Milne for the most, at 299. Catojo's 1.46 blocks per set this season leads Canada West, while her 51 total blocks are tied for first. 

Defensively, libero Chelsea Siebenga, who shifted to the new role this year after previously being an outside hitter, is third in Canada West with 3.40 digs pet set, and Manitoba is averaging 12.94 digs per set as a team. 

Mount Royal features a balanced attack, with five different players averaging at least two points per set this year. Outside hitter Sydney Scatcherd leads the way with 3.2 points per set, including a team-leading 92 kills.