Weekend Preview: Calgary Dinos

January 19th, 2011 - Langley, BC

This weekend the Spartans play host to the Calgary Dinos in the second semester opener at the Langley Events Centre. There are so many story lines stemming from this weekend it is a veritable bonanza of joy.

The first and obvious story line is the rematch of the 2010 CIS National Final that saw the Dinos down the Spartans 3-1. After dropping the first two sets the Spartans won the third set and looked in control of the fourth but faltered down the stretch and saw the Dinos celebrate the National Championship in Kamloops last March. That image is still burned in the memories of may of the current Spartan players as most all of last year's roster returned for this season. While the "rematch" may take the media centre stage there is far more at stake this weekend than redemption.

The Dinos currently sit 10-0 and remain the only undefeated team in Canada West. That means they are the only team that controls their own destiny with regards to winning the regular season title, a bye through the first round of the playoffs and the right to host the Final Four all of which the Spartans look to achieve as well. With a split the Dinos would fall into a three way tie with Alberta or Manitoba (they play each other this weekend). A Spartan sweep would put TWU just 1 game out, potentially tied, for the Canada West lead. The Spartans would need a split from Toba and Alberta to have a share of the lead. From a Canada West placing perspective this is a huge weekend with all of the top four teams in the conference playing each other. Much more will be known about the future of CanWest after this weekend.

Another story line is the recent success and rivalry between these two team that have seemed to have charted a similar course over the past couple seasons. In 2008-2009 the Dinos finished 2nd and TWU 3rd in the regular season and both teams were looking to return to the National Championship for the first time in a while (2003 - Calgary, 2007 - TWU). But this was not to be as both teams were "upset" in the first round of the Canada West playoffs. The Dinos lost a tough three match weekend with Winnipeg and the Spartans had a similar fate with Thompson Rivers. That bitter disappointment made both teams better the following year as the Dinos finished 2nd again and made amends in the playoffs quickly dispatching the Manitoba Bisons 2-0 while the Spartans had to go three matches to get past those pesky Wesmen from Winnipeg.

2009-2010 saw the rivalry between these very similar teams take shape. Their first meeting was in the Dino Cup that Calgary hosted in October. The After winning the first set the Spartans dropped the next three and ultimately had to play for third due to a tie break that went in the host team's favour...controversially. In the last weekend of the first semester they met in Calgary where the Dinos were just named the #1 team in the CIS that week. The Dinos won the first night against a very lack-luster Spartan team. The following day the Spartan athletes responded by having an athletes only practice where the coaching staff was asked to "go for coffee" and let them prepare holding themselves accountable to there coming performance. Their tactic worked as a very inspired and aggressive Spartan team won a chippy 4 set match dethroning Calgary of their #1 ranking after just one week.

The teams met again in the Canada West Final Four in Edmonton. Calgary took sets 1&4 with the Spartans taking the middle two setting up a bitterly contested 5th set that saw the Spartans advance to the Canada West Final against Alberta that they ultimately lost in 5 sets.

The CIS National Tournament saw these two teams take a similar route to meet in what was thought as an unlikely final pre tournament. Calgary drew a tough Dalhousie team in the first round and after dropping the first two sets they made a line up change and they caught fire winning the final three sets to advance to the semi final. The Spartans had an easier match, score wise, against an equally tough opponent in the Queen's Gaels, winning 3-0. The semi finals saw Calgary take on perennial favorite Alberta who had been in the 8 previous finals. The Dinos were able to gut out a 5 set win to advance to their first final since the mid 90's. The Spartans had to go the distance with undefeated and #1 seed Laval. In one of the most entertaining matches of volleyball you will ever see the Spartans recovered from a 23-19 deficit down 2 sets to 1 to force a 5th and deciding set. Finally at 20-18 the Spartans made a block to seal yet another match with the Dinos, the 5th on the season.

This year the rivalry has continued to grow as these two teams have met once already in the final of the Spartan Holiday Classic on January 5th at the Langley Events Centre. The Spartans played well enough to win 3-0 but the match was much closer than that setting the stage for another great weekend of volleyball between these two volley-powers.

On a personal note there are a number of intriguing relationships between these two teams. Rudy Verhoeff (Spartan 4th year Outside Hitter) was high school and club teammates with two current Dinos players (Ciaran McGovern and Levi Nutma). Rudy along with Marc Howatson have played the last three summers with Dinos Graham Vigrass, Jay Blankenau and McGovern with the National Junior and B teams. There are 7 current Spartans hailing from the province of Alberta so many of them played provincial team with many of the Dinos athletes as well including three from the city of Calgary (Verhoeff, Jarrod Offereins & Branden Schmidt).

All the personal relationships combined with the developing rivalry between these two CIS finalists will create a great competitive environment. Add in the second semester intensity where every match matters three fold in the final standings and it is not to much to assume this will be the most exciting weekend at the Langley Events Centre this season...YET!

Match times are 8pm Friday, January 21st and 7pm Saturday, January 22nd. Calling all Faithful, the Spartans will need you.

Go Spartans!!!

Location:Langley, BC

Food For Thought: Spartan Second Semester History

January 16th, 2011 - Langley, BC

As we head into the second semester lets take a look back at the Spartan Men's Volleyball Program's history of success and otherwise at the midway point.

We will start tracking the records from January 1st, 2004 which was the first season in which the Spartans began their run of 6 of 8 National Tournament appearances totaling in 5 National medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) the second most in the CIS during that period (Alberta Bears).

Year January 1 Final CW Finish 2nd Sem
Record Record Place CW/CIS Record

2004 3-5 12-8 4th 4th/3rd 9-3
2005 5-3 14-6 2nd 2nd/2nd 9-3
2006 8-2 16-4 2nd 2nd/1st 8-2
2007 5-1 13-5 2nd 1st/3rd 7-4
2008 4-4 8-10 7th NA/NA 4-6
2009 5-3 11-7 3rd NA/NA 6-4
2010 6-2 11-7 4th 2nd/2nd 5-5
2011 8-2 TBD TBD TBD/TBD TBD

Extra Notes:
2004: Second semester Coach Ron Pike made a switch to the starting lineup after a loss to Alberta at home. The team responded with a 5 set win, the programs first ever versus the Bears. That spurred a 9-2 record down the stretch en route to the programs first ever appearance at the National Tournament and a Bronze Medal.

2005: The programs first every appearance in both the Canada West final and the CIS National final. Same opponent and same result but the stage would be set for the following year.

2006: Going up against arguably the best CIS talent ever assembled in the undefeated Bears the Spartans won their first ever and lone CIS title to date.

2007: With arguably the best Spartan roster in the programs history and coming off a National Championship the team was rittled with injuries and had to move Josh Howatson, National Team setter, to the middle en route to the program's first Canada West title and its second bronze medal.

2008: In coach Josephson's first year with 4 freshman starters the team by the end of the season the team failed to make the National Tournament for the first time in 4 seasons. While it was a disappointment those four freshman starters (Ben Ball, Paul Lindemulder, Rudy Verhoeff and Marc Howatson) would become the core of the current cycle.

2009: After a great season and earning a host playoff berth in the 3rd position the Spartans lost to TRU in the third match of the best of three in 5. One of the most epic playoff series to date.

2010: With the freshmen from 2008 now in their 3rd years the team was poised to return to the National Tournament. After a tough three match playoff with Winnipeg the team went to Edmonton and lost in the Canada West final to Alberta in 5. Then it is return to the CIS Tournament the Spartans knocked off the undefeated #1 team in the country, Laval Rouge et Or, in the semi-final en route to the program's second National Silver Medal.

2011: With a host berth locked up to the National Tournament what remains to be seen is what kind of second semester this year's Spartan team can muster. The above table shows that any kind of record at the semester break can end in success or otherwise. It is what kind of performance and resiliency the team shows that will prove what the final outcome will be.

As evidenced by the table, all you need to do is get to the "dance" where anything can happen. The Spartans have gone into the tournament as favorites and underdogs but in all cases once at the tournament the Spartans are a force to be reckoned with. The Spartans have never NOT medalled at the National Tournament once they have been there.

BIG PLAYERS MAKE BIG PLAYS AT BIG TIMES!

Go Spartans!!!

Location:Langley, BC

Second semester preview Spartans MVB

With the second semester sprint looming just 10 days from getting under way it's time to take a quick look at what is in store for the volley boys from TWU.

Sitting at 8-2 at the semester break is a spot that is quite comfortable from a make the playoffs stand point but it is not nearly solid enough for the Spartans to achieve some of the goals that they hope to achieve.

The first goal to be achieved is to secure a host playoff birth for the third consecutive year. To achieve that the Spartans will most likely need a minimum of 3 more wins in their remaining 8 games. While 3 would most likely do it 4 should clinch it. Where those wins will come from will be the difficult task, to be discussed later.

The second goal is to win the conference regular season title, a feat that has not yet been accomplished by the Spartan Men's Volleyball program. Not only would winning the conference regular season be unprecedented but it would also secure the host of the Canada West Final 4 as well as a bye through the first round of the playoffs and some much needed rest.

The third goal out there, and the one that has little direct baring on the regular season, is winning the "blue" banner or the conference tournament. By doing so TWU would capture its 2nd Canada West men's volleyball title (2007) and would be all but guaranteed a top 1 or 2 seed in the national tournament.

The fourth and final goal, and the ultimate prize, is the "red" banner or the National Title. After losing in the title match a year ago the Spartans have had their eyes set on a return to that match with a different outcome. The previous goals all make this final goal a little easier but none of them will matter if this final goal is the only one accomplished.

These goals were set at the beginning of the season by the team and they have been training and playing hard to achieve them. While they would be nice to achieve they have no relationship to the fact the Spartans are in the National Tournament in March at the Langley Events Centre. Having a guaranteed host birth to compete for a national title is a nice fall back this year's edition of Spartan Men's Volleyball has not intention of using the host birth.

The National Championship is not necessarily won by the best team during the whole season but rather the team that is playing the best at the end of the season. The second semester provides the perfect build up towards that end.

The semester begins with a matchup with the University of Calgary Dinos (10-0) who not only are the defending National Champions but also sit alone atop the Canada West standings. The semester opening weekend should show the Spartans just where they are at with regards to their goals and their level of performance. In order to win the regular season the Spartans will most likely have to capture a sweep of the Dinos on home court and then would still need some help as Alberta & Manitoba only have 1 loss each.

The second weekend sees the Spartans travel to Saskatoon to play the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. While the Huskies are 1-9 at this point they are a very talented and dangerous team that still have a real chance of making the playoffs but will need to string together some quality wins, including the TWU weekend.

The third weekend is one of the "trap" weekends for TWU this semester as they travel to Brandon to take on the Bobcats. At 4-6 the Bobcats are in a spot few thought they would be in at the beginning of the season. Brandon was a preseason favorite to win the conference boasting the reigning CIS Player of the Year in Paul Sanderson (5th, Left Side, Australia). The Bobcats have underachieved thus far this season but as mentioned earlier it is not what teams do so much in the first semester rather how they are playing at the end of the second. The Spartans meet up with the Bobcats in the second to last regular season weekend and the host team should be in post season form and have shaken off the first semester's performance woes.

The second semester wraps up back in Langley as the Spartans play host the the Manitoba Bisons who are this year's surprise team. After missing the playoffs last season the Bisons have shot out to an impressive 11-1 record and are sitting tied for 2nd place in the conference. Manitoba had the luxury of a "softer" first semester but their level of play has been impressive none the less. Many of the Spartans goals will hang in the balance on Senior Weekend in Langley as playoff positioning and potentially the conference title may hang in the balance.

Upon the conclusion of regular season play the Spartans will enter the playoff phase of the season. The first round, if TWU does not earn a bye by winning the regular season title, consists of a best of three series. The winners of the three playoff series advance to the Final 4 to be hosted by the conference title winner. From there the top three plus TWU will advance to the National Championship at the Langley Events Centre March 4-6.

As evidenced the second semester is truly a sprint where every weekend is a must perform. The ability of a team to build their level of play towards the first weekend in March is the team that will have the best chance of playing their best when it counts the most. The top of the Canada West standings remains very tight with many match ups between those teams in the second semester. There could be much movement in the standings and rankings throughout the semester and nothing will be certain at any point.

To that end the Spartans enter the semester's play with a tough resolve to earn the right to be at the National Championship. It will take unbelievable focus and determination to prepare for each coming weekend's challenge for what it is. Finally it will take unmatched resiliency to respond to stumbles along the way for no Champion is that without adversity. It is the team that takes on adversity head on, conquers it and moves on quickly and intentionally that will be best prepared for the final weekend.

It will be an exciting finish to the 2010-2011 season...

Go Spartans!!!

Location:Langley, BC