It’s been 15 seasons since the Saskatchewan Huskies women’s volleyball team made it into the playoffs. And with six more weeks in the regular season, they’re sitting on the bubble.
The top seven teams make it into the post-season in the Canada West Conference, and the Huskies are currently sitting in eighth place with a record of 5-7.
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For fourth year libero Jennifer Hueser, she’s not trying to let the pressure of the goal the squad set back in September dictate their play.
“I think we’re trying to just go with the process versus the outcome,” Hueser said.
This will be Emily Humbert’s last chance at making the post-season. Humbert is the lone senior on the team and it’s been her goal every year to make the playoffs since suiting up as a Huskie.
“We’re not uncomfortable talking about it. We know we haven’t made the playoffs since the 2001-2002 season, so we know it’s been a huge drought. We’re aware and we’ve got girls that are so hungry to make the playoffs,” Humbert said.
It’ll be home sweet home for the Huskies, who haven’t played a game at the Physical Activity Complex (PAC) since Dec. 3, when they lost 3-2 two in straight evenings to the Manitoba Bisons. It was their first string of losses that grew to four in a row, as the Huskies succumbed to the Trinity Western Spartans (13-1) in their first weekend series of 2017.
The challenge mounts for Saskatchewan, as this upcoming weekend they face the Alberta Pandas, the only team in Canada West with a flawless record (12-0).
“They just make it look easy. They’re a well oiled machine, they go about their business pretty casually and they get results”, head coach Mark Dodds said.
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All three of the Pandas starting outside hitters are in their fifth year, while another two starters are in their fourth year. Alberta also has the best kill efficiency in the conference, scoring on 27 per cent of their attacks.
Hueser, who is the defensive specialist for the Huskies, will need to anchor the back row and limit the Panda’s kills.
“You just can’t get nervous and let all their fifth years score. Because as soon as you do that, you’re going to be back on your heels and scared,” Hueser said.
While no current Huskies have any memory of what the post season feels like, Alberta has been in the playoffs every year since 2000. They’ve also been ranked No. 1 in Canada for the past seven weeks. But a few veterans on Saskatchewan’s squad remember when just three years ago, they opened the 2013 season with a sweep of the Pandas.
“That was one of the most exciting games of my career so far”, beams Humbert, who has the highest attack efficiency on the Huskies.
“I remember just being like, ‘Holy Crap, we beat Alberta!’, but I felt confident in our team. We made sure we did our job. We didn’t focus on ‘oh my goodness its Alberta’, and I think that’s what really helped us push through.”
Humbert believes the recent memory could serve the current Huskies well, “They have many of those girls that were on that team returning. Whenever they play us they know, I think they remember and know we really want to beat them.”
The Huskies will play the Pandas at 6 p.m. CT on Friday and Saturday.
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