Summer Wrap Up

This past weekend no less than five Spartans were in Tee-Dot competing in the National Team Challenge Cup (NTCC). Devyn Plett (Manitoba), Derek Thiessen (BC), Brad Kufske (BC), Lucas Van Berkel (Alberta) and Branden Schmidt (Alberta). From all reports it was a great tournament that featured Canada's best U19 players. The tournament was also used as a selection camp for the Junior Canadian National Team that will compete later in August at the NORCECA championship.

Team BC: Derek Thiessen & Brad Kufske

Team BC headed into this year's NTCC coming off a silver medal in 2009 and looked to improve that final standing. BC was loaded with talent and experience with five of their seven starters from CIS schools with the other two starters being very capable of playing in the CIS. The athletes had all played together a number of times with five of the seven starters from the same club team (Fraser Valley Volleyball Club). Their first match was with Quebec who boasted two of the top left side players in the tournament. After winning the first set Team BC took a blow as their "go to" wing hitter and Spartan Brad Kufske went down with an ankle injury thus ending his tournament and in all likelihood his shot at making the Junior National Team. BC wasnt able to recover and lost in four sets. Later the were able to dispatch Nova Scotia setting up a battle with Ontario U19 for a chance to advance to the "top half" of the tournament and a chance to avenge the previous year's result. Alas it was not to be as BC lost in a tough 5 set war and would be relegated to compete for 5th place. In the "bottom half" semifinal BC beat Ontario U18 in four and then defeated Saskatchewan in five securing a fifth place finish. All things being equal fifth is a good result for BC with the loss of Kufske. The match with Ontario U19 could have gone either way and that would have given BC a medal shot. In the end it was a great experience for the BC Spartans. Though Kufske was injured and unable to help his team compete it was a great experience training and preparing for this tournament. That training will serve him well as he is the front runner to replace Steve Marshall on the starting line up for the 2010-11 version of Spartan Men's Volleyball. Derek Thiessen, BC & Spartan right side, this was his first major competition since the spring of 2009. Derek had ACL surgery in the summer of 2009 and has been rehabing until this summer's provincial team. It was great for Derek to get back into the flow of training full time and competing. This summer's experience was exactly what Derek needed as he heads into his first full healthy season as a Spartan Men's Volleyball member.

Team Alberta: Lucas Van Berkel & Branden Schmidt

Team Alberta headed into the 2010 NTCC as defending three time champions. Charged with continuing that legacy was arguably the most talented team in the tournament. Alberta had great depth in the middle position with three CIS experienced players including Spartan Lucas Van Berkel. The depth in the middle was so much that arguably the top high school middle in the country, Branden Schmidt Spartan class of 2010, was moved to the right side position. The move paid off as Branden helped Alberta get back into the final going undefeated through pool play and winning their semi final versus Ontario U19 in four sets. In the final they lost a tough five setter against Team Manitoba in another great match. While the streak was finally put to an end the disappointement was short lived for Spartans Van Berkel and Schmidt who were selected as members of the Junior National Team. Lucas missed the entire second semester of the Canada West season with knee surgery to repair some bone in his knee. This was his return to the court and it was enough to impress the Volleyball Canada brass and earn a selection. Branden was one of two high school (U18) athletes to be selected to the team. After playing middle for most of his career Branden made the move to the right and was immediately successful, to the surprise of very few. The move to the right is most likely the move he would make at TWU so this summer's experience will go a long way for him as he prepares for his future with Spartan Men's Volleyball.

Team Manitoba: Devyn Plett

Devyn and his Team Manitoba teammates were the best team at last weekend's tournament. They lost to Alberta in the pool play phase of the tournament but were able to aveng that defeat in the final, when it mattered most. Like all of the tournament's top teams Manitoba boasted some of the CIS' best players. With all of that experience around him Devyn, U18 high school, was able to set his team to victory in what some would think was an upset. This gold medal caps a perfect season for Devyn. In the fall he was voted as co-player of the year in Manitoba High School Volleyball. He followed that up with a Provincial Championship for the MBCI Hawks capturing Most Valuable Player in the process. In the spring Devyn won the Manitoba Provincial Club Championship with his Strike Club Team. A couple weeks later he and his teammates followed that up with a National Championship and another MVP award. It is hard to imagine a more perfect year of volleyball than the one Devyn just completed. It is his and the Spartans' hopes that the success streak continues as he joins last year's CIS silver medalists in their quest to capture the school's second volleyball Nationan Championship.

Now these five athlete will have a little more than a month before they are required to report to Langley for training camp with Spartan Men's Volleyball.

The future looks very bright for Spartan Men's Volleyball if these five are any indication.

Go Spartans!!!

Where are the Spartans?

While the summer is often a slow time for Spartan Men's Volleyballers, this summer is anything but that. The "off season" is a time for rest and relaxation. A time to enjoy the sun and lack of homework, lift weights and hit the beach, both volleyball and other. This really is not the case for many of the Spartans past, present and future.

Gatineau, Quebec: National Team Training Centre

Marc Howatson and Rudy Verhoeff spent half of May and all of June in Quebec training with the National B team. They were under the tutalidge of Larry McKay (Univ. of Winnipeg) and were exposed to a high level of training that they will bring back to the Spartans this coming fall. Joining the current Spartan duo was past Spartan legend Josh Howatson who, coming off another stellar professional campaign in Spain, was selected to the National A team. The Senior team is preparing this summer for the World Championships coming up this fall in Italy.

Toronto, ON: Beach National Team Training Centre

Summer means beach season and more and more Spartans are spending a good chunk of their training time in the summers working on their beach volleyball game...and tan. This summer current Spartan and 2010 CIS National Championship All Star Steve Marshall has been selected to the Beach National Team. He will be teaming up with former Alberta Bear (hard to write) stand out Ben Saxton. Marsh and Ben will be headed overseas to compete at a number of FIVB Beach Tour events. Also in TO this summer is past CIS All Canadian Chaim Schalk who teams with Martin Reader on the Beach National Team. Chaim and Martin have been playing in a few FIVB events already this summer adn will be attending a number more as the summer progresses. The third Spartan selected to the Beach National Team this summer is incoming freshman Nick Del Bianco who will be attending the U20 World Championships in Portugal this summer with partner Garret May.

Winnipeg, MB: Team Manitoba U19 Training Camp
Another member of the incoming class of 2010 Devyn Plett is setting for the Team Manitoba U19 Provincial Team this summer. They will be competing in Toronto for teh National Team Challenge Cup July 22-25. While its hard for a BC'er to cheer for Toba any team with a Spartan on it is worth rooting for...a little bit.

Calgary, AB: Team Alberta U19 Training Camp
The third of the incoming class to play this summer is Branden Schmidt who joins current Spartan Lucas Van Berkel on the Alberta U19 Provincial Team. Surrounded by Bears, Dinos, Cougars and Trojans they are trying to raise the level to their usual standards from back in Langley (tongue in cheek). The experience of playing a number of other great players is a great development opportunity for these young Spartans as they continue to prepare for their opportunity to play in Langley day in and day out.

Victoria, BC: Team BC U19 Training Camp
Finally at home on the west coast the final two Spartans playing this summer are Brad Kufske and Derek Thiessen who are members of the U19 Team BC Provincial Team that will compete against their transplanted teammates in Toronto at the NTCC Championship. While the smack talk is flying by way of text message on a daily basis between Winnipeg, Calgary and Victoria it is the BC boys who have the loyalty of the Faithful Nation. Being a BC institution loyal Spartan fans will have to cheer the BC team in Toronto...while rooting for Devyn, Lucas and Branden. The NTCC tournament will also be the tryout camp for the Canadian Junior National Team that hosts the NORCECA Championship on route to qualifying for next year's World U20 Championships.

It is an exciting summer for the Spartans, past present and future. As usual they will bleed Blue and represent the Spartan way as they always do.

Proud as always...Go Spartans!!!