10 Scie Press IN SEARCH OF A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP wd Mens Volleyball team represents BC in | Truro, Nova Scotia Pix and prose by Miguel Strother SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SEPTEMBER SEMESTER, THE DOUGLAS COLLEGE (DC) MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM HAS BEEN PRACTICING FOUR OUT OF FIVE NIGHTS OF THE WORK WEEK, PLAYING MATCHES ON WEEKENDS, AND TRAVELING TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ON SEMESTER BREAK. THAT HAVE STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH EMPLOYERS AND IN ORDER 7O REPRESENT THE ‘COLLEGE THEY HAVE MADE SACRIFICES INSTRUCTORS IN THE BEST WAY THEY KNOW How. JUMP-SERVES HAVE BEEN PERFECTED AND PLAYS HAVE BEEN PRACTICED COUNTLESS TIMES.” FOR THIS, THE PLAYERS WERE REWARDED. THE TEAM STEAMROLLED THROUGH THE PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND EARNED THE RIGHT TO REPRESENT NOT ONLY DC, BUT THE PROVINCE ITSELF, AT THE CANADIAN COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION’S VOLLEYBALL NATIONALS IN THE TOWN OF TRURO, NOVA SCOTIA. THIS IS THE STORY ABOUT THEIR QUEST, BOTH AS A TEAM AND AS INDIVIDUALS, FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TITLE DAY FLIGHT On the morning of March 5, 1996 at around 6:45 am, various members of the DC men’s volleyball team began to gather at a small table in the Vancouver a i-+ pot cafeteria. They were all in good spirits and seemed to be excited about the journey they were about to embark upon. The next week would — see them living out the dream of playing in a national championship, a dream many of them have been struggling to make a reality since the first day they stepped onto the volleyball court way back in junior high school. If they were at all nervous it didn’t show. The men fooled around in the airport much like you would expect a group of third-graders to, racing the luggage carriers and cracking bad jokes. This would be a dominant mood for the rest of the seven- hour journey across the country. That mood would soon change. The first five hours of the plane ride brought us to Montreal’s Dorval Airport for a brief layover before the transfer to another flight which was to take us to Halifax Nova Scotia. From Halifax a bus was supposed to take us to our hotel in Truro, which is approximately an hour- and-a-half away form the capital. When we arrived at the gutted Halifax airport, it took about 25 minutes to find out that more then 50% of the team’s luggage was missing. There were rumours that the luggage was probably headed for Puerto Rico or some other tropical country as we stood inside the Halifax airport looking out at the, shall we say, Godawful Halifax weather. The looks of happiness and enthusiasm that had been plastered across the players’ faces earlier in the day were replaced with long, travel- worn faces that were none to pleased about the prospect of having to wear the same clothes for the next five days. To add to this misery, the van that was ONE: THE supposed to meet us at the airport, and transport us through the near blizzard conditions, was nowhere to be found. These events were taking their toll on the players. Not even the cheery attitude of the lovely hostesses sent by the agricultural college hosting the tournament to greet the players w ai °§s enough to raise the Tem os spirits. This was not the way coach Brian Newman had hoped the first part of the championship quest would begin. Wisely, Newman had instructed his players to pack their game gear in their carry-on bags so they wouldn’t get caught having to wear borrowed uniforms during match play. After about an hour of searching, several minivans were located. Another hour and a half later and the players and coaches found themselves in the snow encrusted town of Truro, Nova Scotia. The hotel, filled with men’s and women’s volleyball teams from around the country, could have been a stable for all the players and coaches cared.It was a place to rest and that was all that mattered. The next day would be a long day; practice was at 10:30 and the various awards banquets were slated for the evening. DiA‘Y. TWo: PRAGTICE & PRESENTATIONS After a quick breakfast and meeting with coach Newman, the players loaded into the mini-vans and headed off to the agricultural college for their last chance to work out any kinks. The players were loose and looking forward to getting aquainted with the local facilities. Unfortunately, the practice seemed to go poorly. Players were not hitting the ball well, and they complained of the lighting in the building and the lack of spring in the floor. Ken Kilpaterik, a 6’5 middle blocker from Delta, was the most vocal in expressing his displeasure with the way the practice went. “That was the shits.” I asked him if the time change had anything to do with it and he replied “No I don’t think so, that was just the shits.” Apparently coach Newman had instructed his players to get up three to four hours earlier than normally and to go to bed three to four hours earlier, so that they would be less affected by the four hour time change. The players were simply unfocussed, and would need to The looks of enthusiasm that had been plastered across the players’ faces earlier in the day had been replaced with long, travel-worn faces that were none to pleased about the prospect of having to wear the same clothes for the next five days. get much more mentally focused over the next 24 hours if they hoped to get off on the right foot in their first match against Saint Anne’s the next day. All the same, the team was quick to shake off the practice, blaming nerves and the long plane ride. The laid back and relaxed attitude was quickly restored once the players arrived back at the hotel. Certainly 6’4 power hitter Cam Secret was unaffected, he managed to take several of the players’ lunch money in a friendly card game he taught them earlier in the day. I don’t think Cam minds that most of players don’t think that he is a very good teacher. Later in the day, I managed to get a private word with a much poorer Brad Premack The captain of the DC squad. He claimed that the team would have to forget about the practice and just relax over the next 24 hours. He also was quick to shrug off the time change excuse. The team was simply going through the motions, waiting to get on the floor and do what they do best—compete. They would have to endure one more interlude, as both the dinner banquet and the awards ceremony took place that ‘evening. This did, however, provide some entertainment, and most of the players seemed to enjoy the food and ~ Eastern hospitality. 6’1 power hitter Ken — Kliendienst certainly enjoyed himself, as he was named as an All Canadian in his first season as a Royal. Ken thanked coach Newman, saying that the coach had helped him elevate his game to a higher level, making the honour possible. When asked how the team could make the national championship dream a reality, Ken said he felt they would need to focus on their individual tasks and play with a little more intensity than they were used to, as the competition would be far stronger then what they had faced previously. After a hearty feast and the awards banquet all headed back to the hotel for a nights rest. Thursday morning would see the first day of competition. Douglas College (British Columbia), Red Deer College (Alberta), Durahm College (Ontario), College de Sherbrooke (Quebec), College de Limoilou (Quebec),and the host province’s Universite Set. Annes would all see action in their respective pools the next day. DAY . THREE: THE FIRST DAY OF PLAY. Finally, after an entire season of league play, a provincial championship title and a whole lot of waiting, the first day of competition had finally come. No longer would the men have to wait to get on the court. They wouldn’t have to worry about catching planes or retrieving lost luggage (which, by the way, was found,) all they had to do now was play. This is what they had been looking forward to since the season began. The laid back attitude that the players had displayed all season long seemed to still be there as the match was about to begin. Coach Newman was, as usual, cracking jokes and keeping the mood light. I found it amazing that the team could stay so loose before such a huge event. But that’s always been their style. They show little-to-no emotion when they play, rarely screaming and yelling as most other teams do. This style aided them in the opening match. The first set saw a few mistakes that wouldn’t normally be made, but for the most part the team picked up where it left off, steam-rolling the competition. The match saw DC jumping out to a quick 8-2 lead in the first set. No player really stood out, as is usual for the March 19, 1996 Douglas squad, they simply play as a six man unit. The first set ended 15-2 Royals, and the tournament was off to a promising start as far as the Douglas squad was concerned. The team continued to dominate in the second set, winning it in the same fashion as they did the first, the final score being 15-4. Veteran Jeff Foo, who is in his last year of eligibility as a player, replaced regular starter Ken Kilpaterick and played a strong game defensively for the squad. ~ The team went on to win the match in commanding fashion 3 sets to 0. The general consensus among the players was that this match was a great warm up but they would be in much tougher against their next opponent, the Quebec champions College de | Sherbrooke. There was time enough only for the team to have a quick bite to eat and meet briefly before they headed back to the gym to battle for the first place seating in their pool. Coach Brian Newman felt that the two teams matched up well but the lack of size on the Sherbrooke side would help the DC ~ squad to come out with a victory and a birth in the semi finals. If they lost they would have to play a do or die match, which would see the winner moving on to the semi finals and the looser playing - for fifth and sixth on Saturday. After the Royals went through their regular process of listening to a relaxation tape before the match and trying to get themselves as focused as possible, we hopped on the bus and went back to the quiet little gym in the middle of nowhere to do battle. As the teams went through their regular warm ups I managed to make acquaintance with Dan Bainard, All Canadian volleyball select and Trinity Western standout . He had been imported to the Championships by his school simply to accept his award. Dan was gracious in giving me some insight on the match between Douglas and Sherbrooke. ”Although the Douglas squad is larger in terms of height, it should be a great match as both teams seem of equal skill levels. If the match is an emotional one the edge should go to DC because they are so level in their style that they tend not to go through as many ups and downs as the opposing team.” As we were talking, one of the Sherbrooke power hitters pounded a ball straight into the stands, which are 20 feet above the court. The match was about to begin. The Quebec team jumped to an early 3 point lead as Douglas came out a little flat. After giving up this lead, Douglas finally forced a sideout. The serve was driven into the net giving Sherbrooke the ball back on the easiest sideout possible. After several more Sherbrooke points Jy si