Weekend Preview: Kodiaks open ACAC championship, host track meet, travel for futsal showdown

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks have a busy weekend ahead.

The men's volleyball team opens the 2026 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) championship today in Red Deer, hosted by Red Deer Polytechnic.

On Saturday, the Kodiaks will host the ACAC Indoor Track Running Room Grand Prix No. 3 at the University of Lethbridge. The first race is scheduled for 11 a.m., with events running until 3 p.m.

Also on Saturday, the Kodiaks futsal teams travel to Calgary for their first meeting of the season against the Ambrose University Lions.

Volleyball

MVB Kodiaks S3 (13-6) vs NAIT Ooks N2 (14-5)

Quarterfinals Thursday, Feb. 26 | 8 p.m. | at Red Deer Polytechnic

Semifinals Friday, Feb. 27 | TBD | at Red Deer Polytechnic

Finals Saturday, Feb. 28 | TBD | at Red Deer Polytechnic

The Kodiaks men's volleyball team travelled to Red Deer Wednesday for an afternoon practice and their first look at Red Deer Polytechnic's gym and venue. The ACAC banquet was also held Wednesday night, where three Kodiaks student-athletes were named to the ACAC All-Conference team: Ben St. Pierre (fifth year, Open Studies, Red Deer), Cameron Marshall (third year, Criminal Justice – Policing, Adelaide, South Australia) and Tristan Iwanczuk (first year, Business Administration, Lethbridge).

The Kodiaks face a tough path to the finals, beginning with a matchup against the NAIT Ooks for the fourth consecutive year. The Ooks hold the ACAC's wild-card berth at this year's national championship as they are the host school for the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in two weeks. Also on their side of the bracket are the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings (RDP), who are hosting as the No. 1-ranked team from the South Division. They are also the defending ACAC and CCAA champions.

Kodiaks veterans will play a key role in helping their team quickly adapt to the pressure of championship competition. The last time the Kodiaks and Ooks met was just before the winter break during the regular season. The Ooks earned a 3-1 home victory, but the Kodiaks were battling injuries and used a lineup that had players competing out of their usual positions. The upcoming match is expected to feature longer rallies and more competitive play. The Kodiaks will need to side out efficiently and limit the Ooks' dominant outside hitter. Libero Malcom Fisher (fifth year, Open Studies, Lethbridge) is peaking at the right time, making key plays and leading the match in digs to earn ACAC player-of-the-match honours in a five-set contest. His leadership in the back row, combined with the production of pin hitters Marshall and Ben Dyck (third year, Agricultural Sciences, Coaldale), who recorded 17 kills in that five-set match, gives the Kodiaks balance at the net. With a well-rounded lineup, setter St. Pierre has multiple options to run the offence and create scoring opportunities.

Indoor Track

Saturday, Feb. 28 | Grand Prix #3 | at University of Lethbridge | hosted by LPK 

The Kodiaks will host the final Grand Prix event of the season this weekend before the ACAC championships, which will be held in Edmonton next weekend. Both Kodiaks indoor track teams have delivered strong performances throughout the season.

The sprinters are expected to benefit from a full slate of races after missing those events at the previous Grand Prix. On the women's side, Hallee Pilling (third year, Exercise Science, Cardston) and Paighton Kumson (third year, Correctional Studies, Edmonton) will look to improve on their early-season times heading into the championships.

For the men, Jaxon Uhl (fourth year, Business Administration – Management, Lethbridge) and Owen Boucher (first year, Natural Resource Compliance, St. Paul, Alta.) will aim to move into the top spot after previously finishing third and second in sprint events.

The women's team is poised for another strong showing in both relay events, remaining undefeated this season. The men's team has also posted solid results in relay competition and is on track for another strong performance in both the 4x200-metre and 4x400-metre relays as they build momentum heading into the ACAC championships.

Futsal

WFUT Kodiaks (1-3) vs AMB Lions (0-3)

Saturday, Feb. 28 | 11:30 a.m. | at Ambrose University

The Kodiaks enter Saturday's match with a slight edge in the standings and a strong recent history against the Lions, having not lost to them in the past four seasons. However, the Kodiaks cannot afford to ease up, as the Lions will benefit from home-court advantage.

The Kodiaks will look to offensive leaders such as Megan Morrison (fifth year, Bachelor of Nursing, Medicine Hat), who applies consistent pressure and creates key opportunities for her teammates. Abigail Leusink (third year, Open Studies, Picture Butte) is coming off a strong performance against the SAIT Trojans, contributing defensively and scoring her first ACAC futsal goal.

MFUT Kodiaks (2-2) vs AMB Lions (1-2)

Saturday, Feb. 28 | 3:30 p.m. | at Ambrose University

The Kodiaks men's futsal team has opened the season strong, with its only losses coming against last year's ACAC futsal champions. The team will look to continue that momentum as it faces Ambrose University.

Based on historical results, the matchup is expected to be competitive, as the two teams have split their meetings over the past few seasons. The Kodiaks will rely on leading scorers Cristobal Jacob Pares (first year, Civil Engineering Technology, Nelson, B.C.) and Jordan Morello (fifth year, Renewable Resource Management, Nelson, B.C.) to get the offence moving quickly and efficiently.