CALGARY – The Dinos volleyball teams enjoyed very different results last weekend while hosting the Brandon Bobcats, and as a result the results from the final weekend of their seasons take on very different meanings.

For the Dinos men, it doesn't get much worse than the 3-0 home court loss suffered at the hands of the Bobcats last Friday night. It was their first straight-sets loss in more than a year and it made Saturday's match that much more important. Although the effort was better a night later, the result was a 3-2 loss – setting up an all-important weekend on the road against the Winnipeg Wesmen to close the regular season.

The Calgary women, meanwhile, pulled off what was without question their best performance of the season with a sweep of then-No. 4 Brandon with 3-2 and 3-0 victories of their own. Saturday night's win coupled with Winnipeg's loss to Regina clinched a playoff berth for the Dinos, who will finish in seventh spot regardless of this weekend's outcome. With no pressure this weekend, the 9-9 Dinos can focus on continuing to build momentum toward an all-important first-round playoff series, where they are likely to head back to Winnipeg for a date with the second-place Manitoba Bisons.

The Dinos men have clinched a playoff spot but nothing else, however, and weekend results could see them finish anywhere from second to fifth in the conference standings. Rod Durrant's squad does still control its own destiny and has a score to settle with the Wesmen, who knocked the Dinos out of the playoffs last year after an epic three-match series that required 15 sets. A Calgary sweep guarantees the Dinos their second consecutive playoff finish, while at least one win would likely clinch home-court advantage. Calgary can still finish in the top four and host with two losses at Winnipeg, but tiebreakers and other results would come into play and there are no certainties.

Both Calgary and Winnipeg are 11-5 heading into the weekend and are currently tied for second place as the regular season winds down.

The Dinos will have their hands full with Winnipeg middle Justin Duff along with power hitter Andrew Town, who both sit in the top-10 in kills on the season. Both were key components in the Wesmen's upset of the Dinos in the playoffs last season, and Duff currently leads the conference in hitting percentage at an impressive .453 – a statistic that is even more astounding considering he has 214 kills, nearly double the total of everyone else in the top 10.

Calgary responds with senior middle Oleg Podporin, who sits just behind Duff in the hitting percentage race at .444, while David Egan moved up to seventh in that category at .376. The versatile Graham Vigrass along with kill leader Curtis James and Omar Langford join the two middles as the five Calgary players with more than 100 kills on the season – the most of any team in the conference. Balance on offence will be key to Calgary success, and that balance will rest on the shoulders of setters Ciaran McGovern and Jay Blankenau.

On the women's side, the Dinos ended Winnipeg's post-season dreams last weekend and the Wesmen will be playing for pride, looking to end the season on a winning note while Calgary preps for a post-season run, hoping to extend its nation-leading attendance streak at the CIS championship to 10 years.

Last week's sweep of Brandon was the Dinos' most impressive performance of the season and vaulted them up to No. 6 in the CIS Top 10 this week. Fifth-year seniors Laura Spence and Raynell Lavertu showed poise and leadership to lead the Dinos in kills against the Bobcats and the Dinos will aim to carry that over as they face a Manitoba-based opponent for the second straight week.

The Wesmen have won just one of their last seven matches, a stretch that included a disappointing split at Simon Fraser. The only team Winnipeg has beaten this season that was ahead of them in the standings was Alberta in a surprising 3-1 upset on Nov. 7 in Edmonton. Ariel Smith and Lauren Sears are Winnipeg's offensive catalysts, with 193 and 168 kills, respectively, so far this year.

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