2021-22 schedule: Provincial volleyball rivalries heat up under new regular season format
Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – MacEwan Griffins volleyball teams are ready for the unique post-pandemic challenge of exclusively playing against Alberta competition for the 2021-22 regular season.
It won't be easy, but it will be a rivalry fan's dream as they face provincial opponents Alberta, Calgary and Mount Royal six times each in an 18-game Canada West regular season schedule announced Thursday.
The Griffins kick off the 2021-22 campaign with a home doubleheader against cross-town rival Alberta Nov. 5-6 (6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday in the David Atkinson Gym).
"We have a very balanced schedule with the biggest learning experience being that we play the three Alberta teams six times each," said Griffins women's volleyball head coach Ken Briggs. "There will be no secrets."
See the Griffins' 2021-22 women's volleyball schedule here
See the full Canada West women's volleyball schedule here
Home dates for the MacEwan women's and men's teams also include Nov. 26-27 vs. MRU, Jan. 28-29 vs. Calgary, Feb. 11-12 vs. Alberta and Feb. 25-26 against Calgary. All of these doubleheaders start 6 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.
"Obviously it's a very unique schedule and upcoming season, coming off a pretty unprecedented situation with COVID," said Griffins men's volleyball head coach Brad Poplawski. "Playing within our province for the regular season will be a very interesting challenge.
"Seeing a schedule, I think, makes it feel real for everyone now and everyone is very excited. Players, coaches, staff have all missed playing and competing and we are all very excited to get back on court and get the opportunity to compete."
See the Griffin' 2021-22 men's volleyball schedule here
See the full Canada West men's volleyball schedule here
The 2021-22 season marks the Canada West volleyball debut for the Fraser Valley Cascades. While the Griffins won't face them in the regular season, a matchup could be possible in the playoffs, which will be held under a unique format this season.
To account for the strength of schedule disparity in not playing against everyone in the conference, 12 teams in both men's and women's leagues will make the playoffs instead of the traditional eight.
On the March 4-6 weekend, the three division winners will host pools of four teams. The B.C. division champ will host Prairie 2, Alberta 3 and B.C. 4. The Alberta champ will host B.C. 2, Prairie 3 and a wildcard team (Alberta 4 unless B.C. 5 or Prairie 5 – in the women's ranks only – have a better record). And the Prairie champ will host Alberta 2, B.C. 3 and a wildcard team (Prairie 4 or B.C. 5).
The top two from each pool advance to Week 2 of the playoffs March 11-13 – two round-robin pools of three teams. The top two out of each of these advance to the Final Four March 18-19, hosted by the Week 2 pool winner with the best regular season record.
