CALGARY - In many ways it has been a difficult season for the University of Calgary Dinos women's volleyball team – but they have a chance to make it all worthwhile beginning this weekend as the Canada West playoffs open.

After a 10-10 regular season, the Dinos earned the seventh and final spot in the post-season with a three-game advantage over the Winnipeg Wesmen, and for their efforts they will face the second place, No. 3-ranked Manitoba Bisons in a best-of-three series at the Investors Group Athletic Centre in Winnipeg this weekend.

Second-year head coach Jesse Knight, after leading the Dinos to within points of a national championship before settling for silver in his inaugural season, faced all kinds of adversity with his team in 2009-10 but will be looking to right the ship in the post-season. National team player Laura Wilson was injured in the off-season, forcing a freshman named Maura Hayes into a starting role on the left side for virtually the entire campaign, and various other injuries have wreaked havoc with the Dinos' lineup.

The Dinos, however, went 4-2 in their last six matches of the regular season, including a big road split with Regina and a huge sweep of then-No. 4 Brandon at home to solidify their playoff position. With some momentum heading into the playoffs, the veterans like fifth-year seniors Laura Spence and Raynell Lavertu, will look to lead the Dinos back to the CIS championship tournament. Calgary has the longest active attendance streak at the nationals, dating back to 2001, and the Dinos have finished in the top four in the nation for eight straight years – including six consecutive CIS medals.

“Our veterans are strong as always, and their leadership will have a direct effect on our results this weekend,” said Knight. “We've improved a ton since we played Manitoba in November, and not only physically. Our confidence, our composure, and our ability to recover have also gotten better. We've had multiple tests in the past three weeks, and all of that has contributed to our confidence and our development.

“Manitoba is a very veteran team, so the key for us will be to swing with them and to be able to bounce back and recover.”

The Bisons have had their struggles of late in the playoffs, failing to qualify for the national tournament each of the past two seasons and losing their national quarterfinal in a major upset in 2007. Manitoba head coach Ken Bentley has acknowledged those struggles, and should have his team fired up in their home gym.

The series opens Friday, Feb. 20 with a 6 p.m. MT start, with game two slated for 24 hours later. Should the series extend to the maximum three matches, the rubber would be played Sunday at 1 p.m. MT.

-UC-