CALGARY – As January and the second half of the Calgary Dinos' 2009-10 varsity season open, the volleyball teams look ahead to a schedule that is all too quickly coming to a close with just two home weekends left in the regular season.

The first of those sees the Dinos ring in the New Year against the Saskatchewan Huskies in a pair of intriguing match-ups this weekend in the Jack Simpson Gym.

Sitting at 4-6 heading into the second half, the Dinos women currently occupy the seventh and final playoff spot in Canada West with just a half-match lead over the Winnipeg Wesmen. The rebuilding Dinos struggled through the opening half, swept by Alberta, Trinity Western, and Manitoba while earning sweeps over Simon Fraser and Thompson Rivers.

Calgary has defeated every team below them in the standings that it has played while going down to defeat in every match against teams currently above them in the standings – so it goes without saying that wins are at a premium when the Dinos face teams in arrears if they hope to qualify for the playoffs and extend their nation-leading nine-year attendance streak at the CIS championship.

Such is the case as the 1-9 Saskatchewan Huskies roll into the Jack this weekend. Wins over the Huskies have become routine for the Dinos women's team, with the last Saskatchewan win all the way back on Oct. 15, 2002. But the Dinos must be wary of the current edition of the Huskies, who under interim head coach Austin Dyer are desperate to get back in the win column.

Youth and inconsistency have reared their heads for Calgary so far this season, with injury woes compounding the situation. Starting left side Laura Wilson was lost in July to a knee injury that required surgery, while starting setter Sarah Lacny did not play in non-conference competition against Laval earlier this week and is doubtful for the weekend.

Calgary shored up its defence with the addition of libero Bethany Enge to the roster this week. Enge was a first-team ACAC all-star with Mount Royal last season and has enrolled at the University of Calgary this semester, giving the Dinos some defensive stability. Calgary currently ranks second to last in total digs on the season, with the Huskies the only team behind them.

Fifth-year middle Lauras, Spence and Littlejohn, sit ninth and 10th respectively on the Canada West hitting percentage chart, with Littlejohn also placing 10th in blocks. The only Huskie to appear in the Top 10 in any category is libero Shauna Weber, who averages 3.43 digs per set.

Third year left side Ashley Schurko has been Saskatchewan's offensive catalyst with 2.74 kills per set, followed by Candace Hueser at 2.32. Sophomore Lindsey Doland has continued to roll for Calgary with 104 kills from the right side, with fifth-year senior Raynell Lavertu pounding 93 and freshman Maura Hayes adding 90.

The Calgary men (6-2), meanwhile, face a resurgent Huskies team that won just two matches last season but has already picked up five wins in 2009-10. Brian Gavlas' squad leads the conference defensively, holding opponents to just an 18.6 per cent kill efficiency while earning a key victory in their last outing, a 3-2 triumph over then-No. 2 Alberta at the PAC in Saskatoon.

Third-year middle Geoffrey Zerr leads Canada West with an impressive .532 hitting percentage, thanks in large part to the steady, veteran hand of fifth-year setter Cole Hintz. Zerr hit nearly 63 per cent in the win over Alberta without committing a single attack error. Keyano (Fort McMurray) transfer Alwyn Piche is the Huskies' leader in kill volume with 87 on the year.

The Dinos, meanwhile, have had their struggles since earning the No. 1 spot in the CIS Top 10 mid-November. A split with Trinity Western at home in their last conference outing dropped Calgary to No. 2, where they sit as 2010 opens. The injury bug has bitten the Dinos hard of late, forcing head coach Rod Durrant to play without as many as four starters in the line-up last weekend at the McDonald's Invitational tournament in Kamloops, site of the 2010 CIS Championship in mid-March. With Graham Vigrass and Omar Langford both sidelined, Calgary fell 3-1 to fifth-ranked Dalhousie in the quarterfinal before reeling off wins against No. 4 McMaster (3-1) and UBC-Okanagan (3-0) to claim fifth place at the tournament.

Vigrass remains on the injured reserve and will likely not return to action until Calgary's next action two weeks hence at UBC in Vancouver, but Langford should be back in the line-up for the Dinos against the Huskies this weekend.

Calgary's offence has been the epitome of balance so far in 2009-10, with six players recording 45 or more kills. Senior middle Oleg Podporin is having a career year, appearing in the top five in the conference in hitting percentage (.417), service aces (0.37/set), and blocks (1.2/set).

Both Dinos teams enjoy a bye next weekend before closing out the regular season with three of four weekends on the road. Calgary's last home action of the year goes Feb. 5-6 when the Brandon Bobcats pay a visit to the Jack.

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