Both Providence Pilots soccer teams clinched playoff spots in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference this weekend while the volleyball teams opened their season unbeaten.

The Men and Women's soccer teams played the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers and needed at least a tie to qualify for the MCAC semi-finals.

The Women's Pilots outscored CMU Blazers 2-0 with goals from Courtney Engel and Julika Kehler. The Men's Pilots earned the single point they needed to proceed into the semi-finals with a 1-1 draw against CMU. Herby Magny scored in the 78th minute to tie the game. Both teams played four games in six days.

The woman's head coach Tory Walker says the team was tough and showed great chemistry this past week.

Pilots men's team

“We really needed a result on Sunday and we proved we are a tough team to play against. I’m really proud of the way we responded to the challenge and stuck to our game plan.”

The men will now face the top-ranked Les Rouges de l’Universite de Saint-Boniface in Saturday’s semi-final while the women will take on the first-place Rebels. All play-off matches will take place at Red River’s Norm Konowalchuk soccer complex.

In volleyball the Pilots men opened their regular season winning every set over the Red River College Rebels on Wednesday then beat the Assiniboine Community College Cougars twice over the weekend in Otterburne.

The women's volleyball team won all three of their matches against the same schools. LaRae Driedger had 20 kills, 14 digs, and eight blocks to start the season and Sam Bridle got 81 assists, 10 digs, and 6 aces.

The start of the season was a lot tougher for both basketball teams. Both then Men's and Woman's teams lost to Red River College Rebels on Friday.