SASKATOON, Sask. - The 2025-26 Canada West women's volleyball season is set to feature a University of Saskatchewan Huskie team coming off one the most successful seasons this century, with the program earning their first U SPORTS Championship appearance on merit since the 1999-00 season. With an intact core of veteran student-athletes set to return for another season in green & white, and the addition of some exciting new talent, the Huskies are poised to build on last year's successes and once again challenge in a highly competitive Canada West conference.
 

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2024-25 Recap
Regular Season: 10-10 / 8th Overall
Canada West Playoffs: 4-4 / Finished 4th
U SPORTS Championships: 0-2 / Finished 7th
CW Team Ranks
    Offence: 16.5 points per set, 4th / 135 aces, 8th
    Defence: 161 blocks, 2nd
Season Leaders (RETURNING)
    Kills: 272 - Taryn Hannah
    Assists: 770 - Tielle Hagel
    Digs: 192 - Taryn Hannah
    Blocks: 65 - Jessica Bergstrom
 

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The 2024-25 season saw the Huskies record a 10-10 regular season record, including taking seven of eight matches to start the new year, to secure a playoff position and home play-in series against the TWU Spartans. From there, the Dogs went on to defeat the Spartans 2-1 in a best-of-three series before heading on the road and earning an upset series win over the UFV Cascades, punching their ticket to the U SPORTS National Championship for the first time since they served as hosts in 2003-04. It was also the first time since the 1999-00 season in which the program qualified for the national tournament on merit. Going up against the top teams in the nation in both the Canada West Final Four and U SPORTS Championship, the team held strong and would ultimately finish fourth in the conference and seventh in the nation.

For the 2025-26 edition of the Huskies a new season will present new challenges for the team, with their strength of schedule seemingly flipped and featuring five of the top 6 ranked teams in the preseason coaches poll. Fortunately for Saskatchewan, a veteran core that has already been through their fair share of trials and tribulations returns and are poised to take what they've learned and put it to the test. With returning athletes such as Taryn Hannah, Jessica Bergstrom, and Tielle Hagel ready to lead the team, and plenty of depth surrounding them, Saskatchewan is ready for a great season.

"Going into year eleven, I've learned a lot as a coach,. The main thing being how challenging the CW competition is, and I'm very much looking forward to going into battle with this group to become one of the top teams in the conference," said Mark Dodds, who is set to enter his 11th season as head coach of the Huskies.

The Huskies will need to be ready early in 2025-26, as the team is set to host the Alberta Pandas, ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll and receiving 10 of 14 first-place votes, on opening weekend. Saskatchewan, ranked seventh in the preseason poll, went undefeated in their preseason schedule and surrendered just three sets in matches against the Lakeland Rustlers and Calgary Dinos. 

The Huskies officially kick off the 2025-26 season at 7:30 PM Friday night at the Physical Activity Complex (PAC).
 

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2025-26 Canada West Coaches Poll (FIrst Place Votes)

1. Alberta Pandas - 166 points (10)
2. UBC Thunderbirds - 150 (1)
3. Manitoba Bisons - 141 (2)
4. TWU Spartans - 132 (1)
5. UFV Cascades - 124
6. TRU Wolfpack - 114
7. Saskatchewan Huskies - 93
8. MRU Cougars - 82
9. Winnipeg Wesmen - 67
10. Calgary Dinos - 67
11. UBCO Heat - 52
12. Regina Cougars - 35
13. MacEwan Griffins - 33
14. Brandon Bobcats - 18
 

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Key Performers

A trio of veteran student-athletes and leaders are set to guide the Huskies in 2025-26 in Taryn Hannah, Jessica Bergstrom, and Tielle Hagel. 

Hannah, a fourth-year outside hitter, will once again be expected to lead the Saskatchewan attack, with the former Brandon Bobcat coming off a career season in which she earned the first Canada West All-Star recognition of her career. Last season, the Business major recorded over 200 more attacks than any other Huskie, resulting in top-3 finishes in both kills (272) and points (322.0). Hannah is also a valuable defender, having finished the 2024-25 season 5th in solo blocks (11) and 11th in total digs (192).

At the net, middle blocker Jessica Bergstrom returns for her third season with the Huskies also coming off the best campaign of her career. A product of Airdrie, Alberta, the kinesiology major was one of the best middles in the conference in 2024-25, finishing 4th in total blocks (65) and fifth in both solo (11) and assisted blocks (54). Bergstrom also saved some of her most productive performances for the postseason where she totaled 97.5 points, 70 kills, and 45 total blocks.

Finally, Tielle Hagel returns as the Huskies' starting setter for her fourth season on the court. The Lethbridge, Alberta, product has proven to be one of the most productive setters in program history with 1,309 career assists in 319 sets played, good enough for 6th in the program record books. With 770 assists a year ago, Hagel also produced the third-best season by a Huskie setter, just falling short of former Huskies Juna Barker with 800 and Averie Allard with 833. In addition to her offensive play, Hagel is another valued defender having recorded 159 regular season digs and 26 total blocks.
 

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