PREVIEW: Saskatchewan and Queen’s Ready to Face Off in U SPORTS Quarter-Final

BRANDON, Man. – The University of Saskatchewan (USask) Huskies are set to make their 21st U SPORTS National Championship appearance Friday (Mar. 21) night when they take the court at the Healthy Living Centre for a quarter-final clash with the Queen’s Gaels.
 

HUSKIE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Friday, March 21, 2025 | 7:00 PM CT
Healthy Living Centre | Brandon, Man.

U SPORTS Championships | Semifinals
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 5:00 PM CT
Healthy Living Centre | Brandon, Man.

U SPORTS Championships | Gold Medal Game
Sunday, March 23, 2025 | 5:00 PM CT
Healthy Living Centre | Brandon, Man.

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In their second National Championship appearance in three years, the Huskies will look to return to the U SPORTS semifinals for the first time since 2015-16. To do so the Huskies will need to get past the OUA’s Queen’s Gaels, their national quarter-final opponent.

The Dogs earned a U SPORTS Championship berth in dramatic fashion two weeks ago, defeating one of the best teams in the nation during the regular season in the UBC Thunderbirds in the Canada West bronze medal match. After falling behind 2-0 to start the match, the Huskies took the following three sets to book their ticket to Brandon.

In their quarter-final opponent, Saskatchewan will take on the OUA Champions in the fourth-seeded Gaels. Following a 15-5 regular season, Queen’s defeated the Windsor Lancers 3-1 in the Forsyth Cup to claim the title of OUA champions. 

On the national stage, Saskatchewan and Queen’s have met just once in their respective program histories. In the 1999 CIS Championship, the Huskies handed the Gaels a 3-1 loss in the quarter-final round before going on to appear in the national final. Friday’s match will also mark the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the programs having previously met in the Dogs’ opening match of the 2024-25 year in the Brandon Bobcat’s preseason tournament. The match saw Saskatchewan earn a straight-sets victory (25-21, 25-23, 25-19) in a game that featured 11 of the 12 starters from each team’s championship games.

Enetering the tournament as the No. 5-seed, the Huskies are one of just three teams to rank top five in the nation in points per set (4th), kills per set (2nd), and hitting percentage (3rd), with other two being the #2 Sherbrooke Vert et Or and #3 Alberta Golden Bears. The Gaels meanwhile rank outside the top 10 in each category with the exception of hitting percentage, in which they rank 5th. In the regular season, the Dogs averaged 16.1 points per set and 12.71 kills per set while coverting on 29.8% of attacks. The only statistical category in which Queen’s out-ranks the Huskies is service aces per set, where they have a 1.66 to 1.39 advantage.

The cross-conference quarterfinal will feature plenty of talent, with both teams being led by Second-Team All-Canadians. The Huskies are led by fourth-year outside hitter Emmett Graham who finished the season 7th in kills per set (3.81) and eighth in points per set (4.3) in the nation. Queen’s is led by Zig Licis who finished 19th in points per set and 20th in kills per set.

The winner of Friday’s quarter-final will advance to the U SPORTS Semifinals and face off with the winner of quarter-final #3 between the No. 1-seeded Winnipeg Wesmen and host Brandon Bobcats. That game is set for Friday night (Mar. 22) at 6:00 PM local time (5:00 PM Sask time). 

Huskie fans in Saskatoon looking catch this weekend’s Huskie men’s hockey and men’s volleyball nationals action can head to Sport On Tap for watch parties featuring food and drink specials courtesy of Great Western Brewing.
 

2025 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship Seeding

1. Winnipeg Wesmen (CW champions: 17-3, 4-0)
2. Sherbrooke Vert & Or (RSEQ champions: 14-2, 4-0)
3. Alberta Golden Bears (CW finalists: 16-4, 3-1)
4. Queen’s Gaels (OUA champions: 15-5, 3-0)
5. Saskatchewan Huskies (CW bronze medallists: 14-6, 3-2)
6. Windsor Lancers (OUA finalists: 18-2, 2-1)
7. Western Mustangs (OUA bronze medallists: 10-10, 2-1)
8. Brandon Bobcats (host: 10-10, 0-2)