Game Information
 
Date: Friday, Nov. 1
Time: 6:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: PAC
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – With a 3-1 record, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's volleyball team is off to their best start since 2013-14.
 
The Huskies will look to continue their winning ways this weekend at the PAC as they welcome the Brandon Bobcats (0-2) to town to wrap their four-game homestand.
 
There a pair of exciting promotions going on at the PAC this weekend. On Friday you can join the Huskies in supporting Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon by donating children's toys, winter wear and more. Saturday is Volleyball day in Saskatchewan and will see local volleyball players practicing with the Huskies prior to the game.
 
After sweeping the Calgary Dinos in a pair of matches to start the 2019-20 campaign, Saskatchewan split their home-opening series against the reigning national champion UBC Thunderbirds. The Huskies fell in four sets on Friday night, but bounced right back on Saturday afternoon, returning the favour to the visitors with a four-set win of their own to split the series.
 
Meanwhile, Brandon comes to the Bridge City following a weekend-bye, which followed the team dropping both of their contests at home against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack.
 
The Huskies 3-1 record puts them in a tie for fourth in the conference with the Thunderbirds, as they are just one of five teams remaining in the Canada West with one loss or less this season.
 
As both of the programs narrowly missed out on the postseason in 2018-19, Brandon and Saskatchewan each figure to be in the hunt for the playoffs this season and the pair of early-season matches could prove pivotal as the chase towards the Canada West postseason winds on.
 
10 Things
 
1: If the Huskies sweep the Bobcats this weekend, the 5-1 start will be their best start to the season since 1991, when the Huskies went on to win 14 of their first 15 games.
 
2: Brandon's last visit to the PAC came back on November of the 2016-15 season when the Bobcats and Huskies split the pair of contests.
 
3: Huskies middle Mandi Fraser's .429 hitting percentage is first in the Canada West.
 
4: Saskatchewan leads the conference with 42 total blocks through four games this season.
 
5: It took the Huskies 11 games last season to pick up three victories, as opposed to just four this season.
 
6: Brandon went 2-11 on the road last season, with one win coming over Mount Royal and the other to UBC Okanagan.
 
7: The Bobcats kicked off their 2018-19 campaign last year by hosting the Huskies, which seen Saskatchewan sweep the host side with 3-2 and 3-0 wins.
 
8: Huskies outside hitter Emily Koshinsky, who finished 15th in the conference in kills last season, has vaulted herself into the top five in the Canada West through four games, as she sits tied for fourth with 52.
 
9: After recording 40 digs in the Bobcats opening two matches, Caitlin Le leads the conference with 4.44 digs per set this season.
 
10: The Huskies have won three of their last five Canada West matches against the Bobcats dating back to the 2016 season.
 
Scouting the Bobcats
 
After going 5-19 last season, Brandon head coach Lee Carter is looking to lead the program to their first postseason appearance since 2015-16, after the Bobcats have missed out on qualifying for three consecutive seasons.
 
The Huskies will no longer have to fear Nikala Majewski on the Bobcats side, with the Winnipeg native now graduated from the program. Majewski was second in the Canada West in kills last season, helping her be named a Canada West Second-Team All-Star.
After a spectacular five-year career with the Bobcats, Majewski set the program record in kills with 1,234, which sits four in Canada West history.
 
The 2019-20 Bobcats roster is infused with local talent, with a pair of Saskatoon products looking to step into significant roles this season.
 
Third-year setter Alexa Shoults is a graduate of Evan Hardy Collegiate and second-year left-side Katie Primeau is a graduate of Aden Bowman Collegiate. The pair of Bridge City natives, who have played in all nine of the Bobcats sets so far this season, will be playing their first Canada West contests in their hometown this weekend.