Game Information
 
Date: Friday, Nov. 29 & Saturday, Nov. 30
Time: 8:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Ron & Jane Graham Centre Court at the PAC
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's volleyball team will look to get back in the win column this weekend as they get set to welcome the Thompson Rivers WolfPack to the Bridge City.
 
Despite losing a pair of contests to the defending national champion Trinity Western Spartans last weekend in Langley, the Huskies sit 5-5 on the season, good enough for fifth in the Canada West. With the top eight teams in the conference qualifying for the postseason, the Huskies have positioned themselves well as they chase after their second consecutive playoff appearance.
 
The Huskies are 2-2 at the PAC this season, with this serving as their first home game since Nov. 2. Saskatchewan, who have accrued a 2-2 record on the road in their least four games, will be looking to wrap up their calendar year with a pair of wins on their home floor.
 
It has been a tough start to the 2019-20 campaign for Thompson Rivers, who were 7-1 at this point last season. The WolfPack (1-7) are in the basement of the Canada West, sitting just one game ahead of the winless UBCO Heat. It was a strong 2018-19 season for the WolfPack, as they took down Alberta in the Canada West quarter-finals, before bowing out to Trinity Western in semifinal action.
 
However, Thompson Rivers has struggled out of the gates this season, and the club was swept last weekend in Kamloops, losing back-to-back matches to the number-seven ranked UBC Thunderbirds to record their third consecutive loss.
 
Saskatchewan last welcomed Thompson Rivers to town back in 2016-17, when they swept the visitors with back-to-back three-set wins at the PAC and will be looking for similar success this weekend on their home floor.
 
10 Things
 
1: The Huskies will play host to the CJWW Denny Carr Secret Santa Foundation on Saturday night, allowing fans the opportunity to donate toys or non-perishable food items for the drive to support the local charity, which supports the cities less fortunate. The Huskies, who are partnering with the charity for the fourth-consecutive season, are proud to partner with the local initiative, which assists 800 families and 3,000 residents annually in Saskatoon.
 
2: Four of the Huskies five losses this season have come against the first and second-ranked programs in the nation in the Brandon Bobcats and Trinity Western Spartans.
 
3: The worst of the Huskies schedule is behind them. The combined record of the five programs Saskatchewan has faced this season is 30-15, while the combined record of the six upcoming opponents is 21-39. Presently, the Alberta Golden Bears, who are 8-2 this season, are the only one team above .500 that the Huskies have remaining on their schedule.
 
4: However, it's been an equally difficult stretch to begin the season for the WolfPack. All four of the teams Thompson Rivers has faced this season are ranked within the U SPORTS top ten, with the programs combining to hold a 29-9 record.
 
5: Saskatchewan, who has only two road trips remaining this season, wrap up their year by playing eight of their final 12 games on their home floor.
 
6: The Huskies are kicking off a six-game homestand, which will see them welcome three programs to the PAC who have a combined record of 6-20.
 
7: Thompson Rivers comes to Saskatoon searching for their first win on the road of the season.
 
8: The Huskies have won four of their last six regular-season matches at the PAC against the WolfPack, dating back to the 2012-2013 season.
 
9: Huskies outside hitter Dylan Mortenson is tied for second in the Canada West with 130 kills, trailing only Daniel Thiessen of the Winnipeg Wesmen, who sits with 132. Mortenson, who enters the weekend with 733 kills in his Huskie career is 21 kills away from entering the top ten in the program's career record books.
 
10: Saskatchewan's Connor Murray is tied for fifth in the conference with 18 service aces this season. The mark is already a career-high for the fourth-year Huskie as the Prince Albert, Sask. native had 18 service aces combined in his previous three seasons with the program.
 
Scouting the WolfPack
 
Pat Hennelly is in his 13th season as head coach of Thompson Rivers. Hennelly is attempting to guide the WolfPack to their third-consecutive postseason appearance.
 
Graduated from the program is 6-10 outside hitter Tim Dobbert, who was a big part of why the WolfPack were able to reach the conference quarterfinals last season. Dobbert, an Aichelberg, Germany native, led the Canada West in kills last season.
 
Stepping up in Dobbert's place has been Charlie Bringloe. Bringloe, a fourth-year outside hitter from Waterloo, Ont. leads the team with 90 kills this season.
 
Anton Napolitano and Kyle Behies were each in the top-three in the conference in service aces last season. However, the pair have been unable to replicate similar success this season. Napolitano's 0.51 service aces per set clip in 2018-19 is down to 0.40 this season, while Behiels 0.43 mark has decreased to 0.27.
 
Sam Taylor Parks' team-leading 29 total blocks are good for eighth in the conference.