CALGARY – The math is simple: the Dinos need to win, and they need a little help along the way, to qualify for the Canada West playoffs in women's volleyball.
Heading into the last weekend of the regular season, the Dinos sit at 9-13 on the year as they get set to host the Manitoba Bisons (2-20) to wrap up conference play. Calgary sits two games back of Mount Royal (11-11) for the seventh and final playoff spot, but can still catch the Cougars with a sweep of Manitoba along with two losses by MRU to top-ranked UBC Okanagan this weekend in Kelowna.
That scenario – sweeps by both Calgary and UBC Okanagan – would leave the Dinos and Mount Royal deadlocked at 11-13 for the final playoff spot. The tiebreaker is sets won/lost over all 24 conference matches, which the Dinos would win if they are able to stay away from five-set matches with the Bisons this weekend.
DETAILS- Dates: Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20
- Start times: 6 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday
- Venue: Jack Simpson Gymnasium
HEADLINES- To have a chance at the final playoff spot, the Dinos need a sweep of the Bisons and a sweep by UBC Okanagan over Mount Royal
- It has been 16 months since the Dinos and Bisons last squared off, with Calgary taking both ends of a two-game series by 3-2 scores last November in Winnipeg
- Manitoba is 8-6 in their last 14 conference matches against Calgary and 13-7 overall
CALGARY DINOS (9-13)- Enter the final home weekend after being swept back-to-back nights by the Pandas in Edmonton
- First home game for the Dinos since Jan. 30, a 3-1 win over Mount Royal in the back end of a home-and-home series
- Calgary has climbed up the standings in the second half, posting a 5-5 record – including the wins they needed to have over the teams below them, Regina and MacEwan
- Outside hitter Amber Adolf has taken up as the Dinos' offensive leader of late as the injury bug continues to plague the squad, while Laura McManes was a bright spot last Saturday with six kills
- With no fifth-year or graduating players this season, the Dinos will not have any Seniors Night presentations in 2015-16.
MANITOBA BISONS (2-20)- It has been a tough season for Ken Bentley and the Bisons, with just 23 set wins in 22 matches and only two wins. Manitoba enters the weekend on an 11-match losing streak
- Manitoba's only wins on the season came Oct. 31 at home to MacEwan and Nov. 27 at Regina
- Second-year left side Tori Studler has been Manitoba's offensive leader with 144 kills on the year, with rookie Haille Bujan chipping in with 128.
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