Kodiaks wrap up regular seasons this weekend

Feb. 19, 2020 – Fans wanting a dress rehearsal for next week’s Murray Chevrolet Cadillac 2020 ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championships get their chance this weekend as the Kodiaks volleyball teams host Briercrest College to wrap up the regular season.  

The men’s team enters the final week of the regular season tied for first place in the ACAC south division, with playoff seeding on the line. The women’s team enters action as one of the hottest teams in the conference, having won six of their past eight games. 

Meanwhile, the basketball teams wrap up the regular season on the road at Briercrest. The women’s team is looking to clinch a playoff spot, while the men’s team looks to keep its momentum rolling after already clinching first place in the south division. 

Volleyball playoffs are next week, while the ACAC basketball championships take place from March 5-7.

VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S

Kodiaks (18-4) vs Clippers (14-8) – 8 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday at Val Matteotti Gymnasium

There is still a lot on the line for the Kodiaks men’s volleyball team as it enters the final weekend of the ACAC regular season. The Kodiaks split with SAIT last weekend, which allowed the Red Deer College Kings to catch the Kodiaks in the race for the south division crown. However, the Kodiaks hold the tiebreaker with the Kings, so they still control their own destiny. 

The Kodiaks will look to clinch the south division crown with a pair of games against the Briercrest Clippers. The Kodiaks swept Briercrest in a pair of four-set matches in November. The Kodiaks are ranked second in the CCAA national rankings.

Carter Hansen (fifth year, General Studies, Magrath) gets one final weekend to add to his ACAC career record for kills. He has 1,340 career kills coming into this weekend, which is already 173 more than former teammate Dax Whitehead who sits second on the all-time list with 1,167. Hansen is fourth in the conference in kills this season, averaging 3.68 kills per set.

WOMEN’

Kodiaks (8-14) vs Clippers (21-1) – 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday at Val Matteotti Gymnasium

The Kodiaks women’s team is showing no quit this season. The team swept SAIT last weekend to run its winning streak to four games. The Kodiaks have won six of their past eight matches to pull even with Medicine Hat College for the fourth and final playoff spot in the ACAC south division. Unfortunately for the Kodiaks, the Rattlers are hosting the ACAC championship tournament, so they have already locked up the final playoff berth. 

Hoping to finish its season on the ultimate high, the Kodiaks will battle the nationally second-ranked Briercrest Clippers. The Clippers were unbeaten up until a split with Red Deer College last weekend. Briercrest won each of the two first semester meetings with the Kodiaks by 3-0 scores.

A second semester adjustment to the lineup has kick-started the Kodiaks offense. Jamie Brown (third year, Natural Resource Compliance, Fort Macleod) was moved to the outside, and she has formed a potent tandem with Mack Lewicki (third year, General Studies, Taber). Brown and Lewicki have averaged nearly identical kills numbers over the past eight matches – Brown with 2.69 per set, Lewicki with 2.67 per set. Those averages would place both among the top 10 in the ACAC if averaged over the full season. 

BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S

Kodiaks (10-9) vs Clippers (7-10) – 6 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday at Briercrest College

Last weekend, the Kodiaks scored their biggest win of the season, knocking off then nationally top-ranked Olds College 64-63. The Kodiaks went on to split the weekend series, which put them in third place in the ACAC south division. However, with fourth place Medicine Hat College already guaranteed a championships berth as the hosts, and fifth place Red Deer College holding two games in hand, the Kodiaks still need to fight to earn a spot in the post-season. 

They wrap up the regular season with a pair of games at Briercrest College. The Clippers have run into tough times in the second semester, having lost seven straight games. Any chance they have at a playoff berth depend on a sweep of the Kodiaks. Briercrest won the only other meeting between the teams 87-71 back on the opening day of the season.

The Kodiaks are scoring by committee, with Kirsten Barwegan (third year, Justice Studies, Lethbridge), Matlin McMurray (third year, General Studies, Cardston), Natalie Hoyt (first year, General Studies, Barnwell) and Millay Johnson (second year, General Studies, Barnwell) all averaging between nine and 10.6 points per game.

MEN’S

Kodiaks (18-1) vs Clippers (9-8) – 8 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday at Briercrest College

The Kodiaks men’s team just keeps on winning. A sweep over Olds College last weekend, which included a season-high 128 point outburst on Friday, helped the Kodiaks clinch first place in the ACAC south division standings, and vaulted them from fifth to third in the CCAA national rankings. 

With first place wrapped up, the Kodiaks are playing only for pride this weekend against the Clippers. Briercrest still has plenty to play for, as they are one of four teams fighting for the final two playoff spots in the south division. The Kodiaks beat Briercrest 112-77 to open the season in the only other meeting between the teams.

Brock Dewsbery (first year, General Studies, Lethbridge) continues his great rookie season. He has scored in double digits in every game this season, and is fifth in ACAC scoring, averaging 21.2 points per game. The Kodiaks are the highest scoring team in the ACAC, averaging nearly 97 points per game. Friday’s win over Olds featured a balanced attack that saw seven players score in double-digits and 10 players score at least seven points.

Admission for home Kodiaks games is free to students with Lethbridge College ID cards; $10 for adults; $5 for seniors, youth and alumni; and $4 for college employees and students with University of Lethbridge ID cards. 

All Kodiaks home and away games can be viewed on ACAC-TV and results will be available on the ACAC website.