Having won eight of their last 10 to improve to an impressive 10-4, the University of Victoria Vikes women鈥檚 team is in the midst of a battle for positioning, still behind first place Fraser Valley at 11-3 and 11-4 Thompson Rivers University, where coach Dani Sinclair鈥檚 troops travelled to Thursday, for tonight and Saturday night encounters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a short week of prep [with the Thursday departure] against a team that is playing well. We鈥檝e got challenges in this one as they have one of the best post players in the country in Diane Schuetze,鈥� said Sinclair, whose Vikes are also tied with UBC in the Pacific Division standings.
The top four teams qualify for playoffs so the Vikes, who moved up the national rankings to No. 8 and are four wins ahead of fifth-place UNBC at 6-8, should be a shoo-in for the post-season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty close race. We鈥檙e trying not to look too far ahead,鈥� said Sinclair. 鈥淔rom the looks of it, nothing will be determined until those very last games. You can鈥檛 get too wrapped up in it. I just want to make sure we keep improving and that we come out with our best effort every night.鈥�
But finishing in the top two would secure home-court advantage, at least for the opening games.
鈥淭hat would be pretty big. It is a goal of ours to be able to do that, but I think if we can qualify for playoffs, we鈥檒l be a tough out for anybody, if we鈥檙e playing at the top of our game,鈥� said Sinclair. 鈥淭he bottom line is to make playoffs and if we鈥檙e able to host it will be gravy.鈥�
As for the Vikes men鈥檚 team, they are also in good position at 9-5, behind just division-leading UBC at 12-2 and ahead of Fraser Valley at 7-7 and Thompson Rivers at 6-9.
鈥淎 lot is going to be decided, as far as playoffs and seedings are concerned, the next four weekends,鈥� said Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp, whose team is also in Kamloops to face TRU. 鈥淵ou can look big picture [second overall], that鈥檚 there on the horizon, but we haven鈥檛 solidified a playoff spot at this point. We have to go one night at a time.
鈥淲e鈥檙e on the road again this weekend. Those games are tough, as the schedule and results have shown.鈥�
Victoria is just 2-4 away from McKinnon Gym this season.
鈥淲e鈥檇 like to be at home [for playoffs]. But we want to make sure we鈥檙e in, so I don鈥檛 want to take anything for granted,鈥� Beaucamp added.
