While the men’s volleyball squad look forward to the playoffs the women will pack in their season after next week’s game against the Manitoba Bisons at the PAC.

The Huskies men’s volleyball team made light work of the Regina Cougars in a home-and-home series this past week.

Hosting the first game Thursday, Jan. 31 at the PAC, the Dogs knocked off the Cougars in four sets (23-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-19). Saskatchewan’s outside hitters totalled 43 kills in the match. Bryan Fraser hammered 17, Paul Thomson spiked 14 and Joel Dyck, a fifth-year transfer player from Briercrest College in Caronport, SK, added 12 more kills and 12 digs.

For the Cougars, Andrew Nelson was the most effective offensive player with 20 kills. Meanwhile libero Ryan Cherwaty recorded 13 digs for the Cougars defence.

Two nights later the teams found themselves facing each other again, this time in Regina. The home court advantage could not help the Cougars, however, as they fell 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-19) to the relentless offence of the Huskies.

Fraser once again led the team in kills with a match-high 21.

Saskatchewan now boasts a 14-6 record and will host the 13-7 Manitoba Bisons Feb. 8 and 9 in a critical final weekend of regular season.

The Bisons are coming off a weekend in which they became the first team to beat the number one nationally-ranked Alberta Golden Bears. The Dogs hold a two-point advantage over Manitoba right now, but with a meager four points separating second through fifth place in the standings, all four teams will be desperate to win to earn the right to host a playoff game.

The Huskies women’s volleyball team was also in action against the Regina Cougars this past week. Both teams have been stuck at the bottom end of the league standings all season, but it was the Cougars who edged out the Dogs in back-to-back matches.

Thursday’s game at the PAC saw the Cougars earn a closely matched 3-1 victory. Regina won the first two sets by only two points (29-27, 25-23) before Saskatchewan wrangled a 25-20 victory of their own.

In the fourth set Regina’s Tori Glynn, who finished with 13 kills in the match, scored a few timely points to lead her team to a 25-19 set win to take the match.

The teams met again in Regina Feb. 2. The match went back and forth until Regina stole it in a deciding fifth set, defeating the Huskies 3-2 (22-25, 25-13, 25-16, 22-25, 15-10).

Regina’s Glynn was outstanding once again, leading all players with 19 kills.

For the Huskies, fourth-year veteran Candace Hueser was the most potent offensive force. She tallied 16 kills and five blocks while second-year middle blocker Kayla Tycholiz chipped in with 10 kills of her own. Huskies libero Anne Hanbidge made 10 digs.

Regina improves to 5-15 while the Huskies record falls to 3-17 on the season. With only one week left in the season, both Regina and Saskatchewan are out of playoff contention.

The Dogs will close out the 2012-13 season at home Feb. 8 and 9 against Manitoba.

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Photo: Raisa Pezderic/The Sheaf