SASKATOON – A solid combination of youth and experience adorns a Huskies women's volleyball roster that is set to get its 2018-19 Canada West campaign underway this weekend in Brandon, MB.
 
With the team split evenly between eight players in their third year of eligibility or higher and eight in their first or second, the Huskies will play the Brandon Bobcats on Friday night at 5 p.m., before turning around and playing again on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Both of those games, and all the action this season, can be watched live on canadawest.tv.
 
Ranked 10th in the Canada West pre-season coaches poll, the Huskies appear to be in a close matchup right off the hop, facing a Brandon team that was pegged 11th in that very same poll.
 
The team has a definite local flair to it with ten of their members hailing from Saskatchewan, that includes a trio of freshmen in the form of Mandi Fraser, Olivia Mattern and Hannah Toews.
 
After narrowly missing out on a playoff spot last season the Huskies will be looking to replace the production and leadership of three fifth-year athletes: Marguerite Ferguson, Jenelle Sokoloski and Mackenzie Pek, all of whom graduated from the program at the end of last season.

The team will be forced to play the role of road warriors at the beginning of the season as they will travel to Edmonton to face the MacEwan Griffins after their games in Brandon.
 
They will play their first games on the newly christened Ron and Jane Graham Centre Court on Nov. 9 & 10 against the reigning Canada West champion Calgary Dinos.
 
[FULL CW PREVIEW]
 
HUSKIES CW PREVIEW
 
2018-19 CW pre-season coaches poll: 10th 
2017-18 CW regular season record: 9-15, 10th
2017-18 post-season record: missed playoffs
Head coach: Mark Dodds (5th season) / 27-45 (Career CW reg. season record)
 
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 1991-92 / 7
Last U SPORTS championship / total U SPORTS championships: 1980-81 / 3
 
2017-18 CW regular season ranks:
Points per set: 14.6, 11th
Kills per set: 10.9, 10th
Hitting percentage: .165, 8th
 
2017-18 CW regular season leaders:
Kills: 226 – Emily Koshinsky, OH
Digs: 214 – Shae Beaulieu, LIB
Blocks: 62 – Georgia Hurry, M
Aces: 40 – Emily Koshinsky, OH
Assists: 689 – Mackenzie Pek, S
 
Key additions (name / position / eligibility / hometown / last team): 
Mandi Fraser / M / 1 / Saskatoon, SK / Bishop James Mahoney Saints
Olivia Mattern / OH / 1 / Saskatoon, SK / St. Joseph Guardians
Hannah Toews / OH / 1 / Regina, SK / Campbell Tartans
 
Key losses (name / position / hometown / years with program):
Marguerite Ferguson / M / Port Coquitlam, BC / 5
Jenelle Sokoloski / OH / Saskatoon, SK / 5
Mackenzie Pek / S / Saskatoon. SK / 5 
 
Key performer:
Emily Koshinsky
Outside Hitter
3rd-year
Jansen, SK 
Emily Koshinsky will return for her third-year with the Huskies, and is poised to take on a veteran role with the program. 

The 6'0" outside hitter was a standout in her second year of Canada West volleyball, as the Jansen, SK, native anchored the Huskies lineup and finished ninth in the conference in service aces with 40 and 15th in kills with 226.