LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Trinity Western Spartans open the Canada West season ranked No. 1 in the Canada West preseason coaches' poll. The Spartans kick off the season Friday night at 7 p.m. when they host the No. 9 Manitoba Bisons at the Langley Events Centre, then play game two of the two-game series Saturday at 5 p.m. Both matches can be seen live on Canada West TV.
Trinity Western leads the way in the annual Canada West men's volleyball pre-season coaches' poll, but a new-look Spartans squad will face plenty of competition as the 2026-27 season gets underway this Friday night.
The Spartans edged the Alberta Golden Bears for top spot, receiving seven first-place votes and 138 points. The Bears finished second with 131 points and two first-place votes. Last year's U SPORTS silver medallists, the UBC Thunderbirds, were third, while the Mount Royal Cougars finished fourth. Both the T-Birds and Cougars also received two first-place votes. Coming off an exciting playoff campaign, the UBCO Heat landed fifth, followed by Thompson Rivers and Saskatchewan, who tied with 71 points apiece. Brandon, Manitoba and Calgary rounded out the top 10, with Winnipeg, Fraser Valley and MacEwan completing the 13-team poll.
Can the Spartans reload for another run?
Trinity Western returns to the court following a championship season in 2025-26, when the Spartans captured their eighth Canada West title and eighth U SPORTS national championship. The conference crown was their sixth since 2016, while the national title completed their first double-banner season since 2017.
With key pieces graduating, the focus now shifts to a new group tasked with maintaining the program's high standards. Fifth-year outside hitter
Kaden Schmidt will be counted on to provide a stabilizing presence and veteran leadership. The Mississauga product is coming off a historic season in which he led the conference with five kills per set - a full kill per set more than the next closest student-athlete.
"We graduate some key players but still return a few starters from last year's group," says head coach
Adam Schriemer, who enters his fifth season at the helm. "We return some exciting players, specifically at the outside hitter position. We look forward to seeing that position have a positive impact for us this season while we introduce some new starters in different positions."
2026-27 CW MVB PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
Team - Points (First-place votes)
- Trinity Western Spartans - 138 (7)
- Alberta Golden Bears - 131 (2)
- UBC Thunderbirds - 122 (2)
- Mount Royal Cougars - 114 (2)
- UBCO Heat - 95
- Thompson Rivers WolfPack - 71
- Saskatchewan Huskies - 71
- Brandon Bobcats - 68
- Manitoba Bisons - 58
- Calgary Dinos - 57
- Winnipeg Wesmen - 54
- Fraser Valley - 19
- MacEwan Griffins - 16
Team Overview: The Spartans enter the season with returning experience and new faces stepping into starting roles as they prepare for the highly competitive Canada West conference. Following the graduation of several key players, TWU returns a number of starters from last year's squad, including an exciting group of outside hitters expected to make a significant impact this season. Their contributions will be important as the Spartans integrate new starters at other positions.
From the coach: "We are excited to play in the most competitive conference in U SPORTS Volleyball. We graduate some key players but still return a few starters from last year's group. We return some exciting players, specifically at the outside hitter position. We look forward to seeing that position have a positive impact for us this season while we introduce some new starters in different positions." -
Adam Schriemer
Key Performer: Kaden Schmidt
?Outside Hitter | 5th Year | Mississauga, Ont.
Schmidt is coming off a historic season where he averaged five kills a set. While it might not be easy to improve statistically after a season like that, the Spartans are excited to see how Kaden improves this year and leads the team.
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
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.
-TW-
