One for the future > Royals men’s volleyball outperforms expectations Davie Wong Sports Editor I. be honest. Had you asked me if a team that had lost its winningest head coach and more than three quarters of its National contending squad during the offseason was going to be a competitor in the PACWEST this season, I would have told you they were a hopeful sixth-place team. Squeeze into the playoffs, and bow out in the first round, But then I met Jay Tremonti, the named successor to the Royals men’s volleyball team. Passionate about volleyball, | saw a man who was fired up, not to be a part of something special, but to create something special. When I first saw the team that he was going to be coaching, I saw a group of hard-nosed kids who were going to fight for every game. I saw a team that was going to lose, but would find ways to bounce back and get at it again the next day. But for the first time in a long time at Douglas, I saw a team that was unsure. Unsure about where they were going to be at the end of the season, unsure of what their standing was in the league, and unsure of their identity as a team. However, one thing they were sure of was growth, and that really showed throughout the season. After starting 4-0 to the year, the team went 2-8 over the span of nearly three months. Despite that, the team was still in playoff contention, and were looking better nearly every set. The cumulative grow of the team hit its spike in the final third of the season, specifically with a 3-2 thrilling win against the VIU Mariners and a 3-0 win over the Capilano Blues in the last two weeks leading into playoffs. Their hard-nosed work ethic was rewarded in the PACWEST Volleyball Championships. Twice, the team found themselves down 2-1 against higher- seeded opponents. Twice, the team Bruisin’ for a Bronze > Royals men’s basketball fight to a bronze Davie Wong Sports Editor f ever you want to enter the playoffs, you want to do it hot. The Royals did just that. They came into the PACWEST Provincial Championship having won five out of their last six games. The late season push gave then just enough points to finish fourth, while also prepping them for the playoffs. The team would need it, too. Their first opponent was going to be a doozy. It was the host, the Quest Kermodes, waiting for them in the quarter-finals, and Quest brought the crowd with them. Although the Kermodes were the fifth seed, they were arguably favourites for the game. However, the Royals never even let it get there. Several times in the first quarter, the Kermodes were able to tie the Royals, but could never grab the lead. By the slimmest of margins, the Royals squeezed out a lead going into halftime. Determined to lose, the Kermodes kept up with the Royals in the third, but again, couldn't catch them. In a desperate fourth quarter effort, the Kermodes gave it all they had, and even then the Royals managed to come out ahead, 86-80. The Royals had some fantastic performances in the quarter-final matchup. Grant Campbell had 24 points and Malcolm Mensah had 16, combining for nearly half the teams points. But it was Reese Morris who was the difference maker. He picked up 26 points and 16 rebounds for the double double and the Player of the Game award. The next match was the one everyone was dreading the most. The VIU Mariners. To say the Royals were underdogs in this matchup would be exaggerating. While their odds certainly weren't 5000-1, it was pretty close to it. For pretty good reason, too. Nonetheless, the Royals were able to keep themselves in the game—for a while, at least. The first couple of quarters were close. The Douglas squad managed to grab the lead once before losing it again later. But it wasn’t the players that told the story this game. It was the refs. The Royals managed to get a pretty high foul total racked up on both Malcolm Mensah and Grant Campbell, and that fired up head coach Joe Enevoldson. Apparently it was too hot for the refs, who handed Enevoldson a technical. managed to pull themselves out of the hole and into a win. They did it so well that they won a Bronze for it. Coming into the season that wasn’t even in the picture. It goes to show how much the team has improved since the beginning of the season. There are many contributing factors as to why the Royals were able to do what they did. Certainly, a 0-24 CBC team didn’t hurt the Royals. And a struggling 10-14 Capilano Blues team allowed the Royals to avoid the eventual tournament winners, the Camosun Chargers, in the Championships. But the Royals had some pretty great players that made things happen this year. Justin Faester had a breakout offensive year. Jerry Yan was phenomenal for the Royals, and was named to the All-Rookie team for his efforts. Johnson Yi had a strong year, and Jarod Collins began to really control the Royals offence the way he needed to. However, where the Royals really stood Douglas College Royals via Facebookv out was from an area many people were doubting at the beginning of the season. Devon Dunn came back to the court and absolutely showed the league what a pro level player looks like. His ability to paint the opponents court at any time made him a first team All-Star, and his performance in the Championships left commentators and analysts slack-jawed. His return to the Royals was filled with success, and the Bronze medal will certainly be a memory for him. However, Dunn has been confirmed to be moving on with his career, and will likely not be with the Royals next year. Rumours have him in Toronto, perhaps following in the footsteps of head coach Jay Tremonti at the University of Toronto. Where ever he ends up, it'll be a tough fix for the Royals to fill his spot on the court. That brings an end to the Royals year, but definitely not their story. With one of the younger rosters in the PACWEST, the Royals will be a threat for many years. C C Grant Campbell lit up the scoreboard, dropping 18 points, picking up 7 rebounds, and looking like Swiper with 7 steals. The warning made sense, but the technical was questionable. So you can guess how I felt when the refs gave him the second technical and ejected him from the gym. I mean, ejections aren't unheard of, especially in intense situations. But ejecting a coach during a do-or-die playoff match when his team is barely trailing? It was frustrating, to say the least. The Royals responded well to their coach’s sacrifice, and went on a run. But that only lasted a few buckets. After the adrenaline blew off, it was open season for the Mariners shooters. the Royals stayed in it as long as they could, and even managed to outscore the Mariners in the fourth, but it was too much. The Royals would take the loss 86-71 and move on to the Bronze medal match. Awaiting them, to their and their opponent's surprise, were the second- seeded Langara Falcons. Having been upset by the Capilano Blues, the Falcons were still reeling from the loss. And the Royals could see it. They managed to exploit their dreary-eyed opponents and grab the point lead to close out the first quarter. The Falcons showed signs of life in the second, outscoring the Royals by one point. But it wasn’t quite enough. The Royals came out of their halftime locker room with a pair of shears, and clipped the Falcons. Everything just came apart for the Langara squad in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t quite a blowout, but the Falcons weren't close. The Royals would win PACWEST Bronze on the back of an 83-71 win. Grant Campbell lit up the scoreboard, dropping 18 points, picking up 7 rebounds, and looking like Swiper with 7 steals. In their final game in a Royals jersey, Sheldon Derton had 17 points and 6 rebounds, while Malcolm Mensah had 13 points and 10 rebounds, picking up the double double. Reese Morris was dominant on the court once again, scoring 22 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. He was named Player of the Game for the second time in the tournament. At the end of the tournament, Morris and Campbell were named Tournament All-Stars.