For the first time in Canada West history, the Winnipeg Wesmen are finishing a season on top of the table. 

The Wesmen men's volleyball team finished off its finest conference season in nearly 30 years, outlasting the UBCO Heat 3-2 (25-18, 20-25, 25-15, 21-25, 15-11) in Canada West action Saturday night at the Duckworth Centre.

The win gave the Wesmen a 17-3 record in Chris Voth's first season as head coach marking the program's best win percentage since going 16-2 in the 1997-98 season. Since the Canada West changed to a one-division format in 2002, it is the first time the Wesmen have finished first in the standings. 

Now they get to stay home for the duration of their post-season play, earning a first-round bye before hosting a best-of-three quarter-final series that would start Feb. 27. 

The Heat certainly didn't make it easy, however, on the home side. After the Wesmen dominated the third set with a .389 attacking to UBCO's .000, the Heat found a way to stay alive in the fourth, tearing off five straight points to break a 15-15 tie. 

In the fifth, the Wesmen posted a key stretch in the middle of the set winning four out of five points to break a 7-7 tie and take an 11-8 lead. At 13-11, Isaiah Olfert added a kill to set up match point and serving sub Tristan Arnold came in and aced to send the Wesmen players into celebration. 

Olfert led all players with 17 kills, adding six digs and two blocks. Luke Lodewyks posted 15 kills on a .440 hitting percentage, while Jaxon Rose chipped in with nine kills, three service aces, and eight digs. Senior setter Ben Traa anchored the Wesmen's playmaking, tallying 31 assists.

For UBCO,Thys Weststrate led the way with 13 kills on .407 attacking, and seven blocks. Seba Manuel contributed 13 kills and three service aces, while James Helfrick added six kills and six total blocks. 

Winnipeg finished the match with 56 kills, a .276 team hitting percentage, and 50 digs, while UBCO recorded 48 kills and hit .200 as a team.