LANGLEY, B.C. – This Week in Sparta sees men's and women's volleyball hosting conference semifinals, men's hockey closing out the regular season against Simon Fraser, and women's rugby sevens playing in its final series of the season Victoria. 
 

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#1 MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (20-2, 2-0)
Feb. 27 vs. Brandon (13-9) – Langley Events Centre | 8 p.m. (PT) | WATCH
Feb. 28 vs. Brandon (13-9) – Langley Events Centre | 8:30 p.m. (PT) | WATCH
*Feb. 29 vs. Brandon (13-9) – Langley Events Centre | TBD  | WATCH
*if necessary

NOTABLE

• Trinity Western's men's volleyball team hosts rival Brandon Bobcats in the conference semifinals beginning this Thursday at the Langley Events Centre. 
• The Spartans face a Brandon side they have met frequently in the post season action, having lost to the Bobcats in last years' Canada West Championship (3-2) before defeating them in the U SPORTS Championship (3-0). 
• TWU is coming off sweeping its quarter-final matchup against Mount Royal last week (3-0, 3-0), while Brandon comes to town after defeating Calgary in two games (3-0, 3-1) at home. 
• The Spartans last faced Brandon at home in the regular season, winning both games by a 3-1 score (Jan. 31-Feb. 1). 
• The Spartans finished the regular season with a 20-2 record atop the conference standings, while Brandon finished fourth at 13-9. 
• TWU holds a 21-11 overall record against the Bobcats. 

#1 WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL (22-2, 2-0)
Feb. 27 vs. Thompson Rivers (16-8) – Langley Events Centre | 6 p.m. (PT) | WATCH
Feb. 28 vs. Thompson Rivers (16-8) – Langley Events Centre | 7 p.m. (PT) | WATCH
*Feb. 29 vs. Thompson Rivers (16-8) – Langley Events Centre | TBD | WATCH
*if necessary
 
NOTABLE

• The Spartans continue their quest to defend last seasons' Canada West Championship as they host Thompson Rivers in the conference semifinals at the Langley Events Centre.
• TWU is coming off a pair of home victories over Winnipeg in their quarter-final matchup last week (3-1, 3-0), while the WolfPack swept their series against MacEwan on the road (3-1, 3-2). 
• The Spartans have won a collective 10 consecutive games across the regular season and playoffs, including defeating Thompson Rivers in their regular season finale two weeks ago (Feb. 14-15) in Kamloops. 
• Spartans outside Hilary Howe (Calgary) will look to lead the Spartans side once again, after recording a collective 32 kills and hitting .441 over last weekend. Howe ranked second in regular season kills-per set (3.95). 
• TWU holds an impressive 30-2 record overall against the WolfPack, having won its last nine games including sweeping Thompson Rivers in the 2016 Canada West quarter-finals (3-1, 3-1). 

 
 
MEN'S HOCKEY (19-3-0-1)
Feb. 28 vs. Simon Fraser (12-7-0-2) – George Preston Arena | 7 p.m. (PT) | WATCH

NOTABLE

• Trinity Western's men's hockey team closes out the regular season at home, taking on Simon Fraser University on Friday at George Preston Arena in Langley. 
• The Spartans have already clinched first in the BCIHL standings and will face either Selkirk or Victoria in the semifinals next month. 
• TWU is coming off a pair of road victories on the Island last week, defeating Victoria 5-0 Friday before a 5-2 victory against Vancouver Island in their last road trip of the year. Simon Fraser split its home games against fourth-place Selkirk last week. 
• The Spartans face a Simon Fraser side that has bettered them in its past two games. The Clan broke TWU's 12-game win streak to open the season on Jan. 16 (6-3), before again picking up a win over Trinity Western Jan. 18 in a shootout (5-4).  
• The league-leading Spartans currently boast four of the top six scorers in the league, as Evan Last (33 points), Logan Casavant (32 points), Elijah Vilio (27 points), and Hayden Guilderson (25 points) sit first, second, fourth and sixth in scoring respectively. 
• TWU holds a 3-1-1 record against Simon Fraser this season. 
   

AWAY

 
WOMEN'S RUGBY
Feb. 29 vs. UBC (20 pts) – Wallace Field, Victoria | 10 a.m. (PT)
Feb. 29 vs. Alberta (22 pts) – Wallace Field, Victoria | 12:54 p.m. (PT)
Feb. 29 vs. Fraser Valley (4 pts) – Wallace Field, Victoria | 2:44 p.m. (PT)
Mar. 1 vs. TBD – Wallace Field, Victoria | TBD

NOTABLE

• Trinity Western's women's rugby sevens team is back in action this weekend, as the Spartans travel to Victoria for the third leg of the Canada West Rugby 7s Series at Wallace Field. 
• The Spartans have finished sixth overall in their first two conference 7s series, with a total of three wins this season, two against Fraser Valley (Jan. 19, Feb. 1) and one against UBC Okanagan (38-0). 
• TWU is 6^th out of 8 teams in the Women's Rugby 7s standings, ahead of Fraser Valley (4 pts) and UBC Okanagan (2 pts). Victoria currently leads the overall standings with 30 pts.
• Spartans first-year Issy Scholtens (Langley, B.C.) will look to keep rolling after picking up three tries over the last 7s series in Vancouver (Feb. 1-2).
• The 2020 CW Women's Rugby 7s Series champion will be based on cumulative series points, with the champions officially crowned at the conclusion of the series. Last year Victoria won its second straight conference title after defeating host UBC in Vancouver, topping the overall series standings with 40 points (10-15-15).

About TWU
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey and as an independent team in men's rugby. The men's and women's hockey programs will begin playing in Canada West and U SPORTS in 2020-21. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 27 Canada West team championships and two BCIHL championships.
 
-TW-