SASKATOON — The Winnipeg Wesmen threw a block party Saturday and celebrated with a win and a chance to host a first-round playoff pool.
The Wesmen men's volleyball team posted a season-high 19 total blocks and closed the Canada West conference season with a 3-1 (30-28, 17-25, 25-22, 28-26) victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies.
The Wesmen had already assured themselves first place in the East Division, but Saturday's result made it that much more clear-cut as the Wesmen finished the season with a 11-7 record, four points ahead of second-place Saskatchewan (9-9).
With the first-place finish, the Wesmen will host a four-team first-round playoff pool Thursday through Saturday at the Duckworth Centre. The pool will also include Manitoba (7-11, fourth East), UBC-Okanagan (8-8, third West) and Calgary (13-5, second Central). The top two teams will advance to the second round.
Matches will be played at 6 and 7:45 p.m., with the Wesmen playing all their matches in the early time slot.
The Wesmen registered nine solo blocks, their largest single-match tally since recording 11 in a five-set win against Brandon, Nov. 28, 2017, and their 19 total was the program's highest in the past 12 seasons.
Daniel Thiessen added to his program-record career kills total with 18 and finished his conference career by becoming the first Wesmen player in Canada West history to reach 1,100 kills. The fifth-year right side moved past former Brandon Bobcat Sam Tuivai into 14th place in Canada West history with 1,108.
Thiessen also finished the season atop the Canada West in kills per set with a career-high 4.55 and currently sits first in the country in kills (305) with other conferences yet to finish out their seasons. Thiessen's 305 kills were just 11 off his career-high for a season set in 2019-20 despite playing four fewer matches, and his kills-per-set rate ranks 13th all-time in the Canada West for a season.
Thiessen also had five total blocks and three aces while hitting .310.
Libero Darian Picklyk also finished the season with some nationwide accolades. The fourth-year Picklyk, who had a match-high 15 digs, currently leads the country in digs per set (3.12) and digs (209).
Nigel Nielsen added 10 kills and three solo blocks for the Wesmen.
Fifth-year middle blocker Will Racano matched a career-high with six total blocks, one solo, and left side Eric Dornez also had five blocks, one solo.
The Huskies got 11 kills and 12 digs from Dylan Mortensen.
—#REPTHEW—
