March 9th, 2011 - Langley, BC
After defeating arguably the best team in the country in the quarter-final of the National Tournament the Spartans' road did not get any easier with their semi-final opponent, the University of Calgary Dinos. While the rivalry with the Dinos is not as deep programatically as with the Alberta Bears, the rivalry between the current teams was significantly deeper. These team's rivalry started the last weekend of November in 2009 when the Dinos were the #1 ranked team in the country and the Spartans traveled to Calgary with designs on knocking them off that perch. The first night went the home team's way with the Dinos winning a 3-1 decision. The Spartans were very determined to earn a split and the team leaders "asked" the coaching staff to leave the gym during the Saturday practice and led the training session themselves. That evening the Spartans came out firing on all cylinders earning a similar 3-1 win in a very chippy match. The rivalry between the current rosters had begun to take shape.
Stage two of the rivalry saw the two teams meet in the Canada West semi-final in Edmonton. The game was a see-saw affair with the Spartans ultimately winning in 5 grueling sets and earning a birth in the Canada West final and relegating the Dinos to a much tougher draw at the National Tournament. The final meeting of the 2009-10 season was in the National Final where the Dinos exacted some revenge on the Spartans by breaking their hearts in yet another 4 set match. The feelings from that match would sit and resonate with the Spartans all summer long and provide the motivation for their training all season.
The 2010-2011 season saw chapter three in the story unfold as the Dinos, as defending CIS National Champions, ran out to a 10-0 start in conference play. The eventual rematch from the previous year's final came in the Spartan Holiday Classic in early 2011 at the Langley Events Centre. The Spartans won the match convincingly 3-0 and prematurely satisfied their need for redemption. The problem was these two teams would play in conference play just two weeks later. After the Spartans took the first set of the weekend 25-15 in dominant fashion the Dinos reeled off 6 consecutive sets to earn the sweep in Spartan-land. The losses rattled the Spartans as the same team that broke their hearts the previous March had cut them deeply again. The next meeting between these two powers was the 2011 Canada West semi-final and in a mirror image of the previous year the Dinos dropped the first set, took sets 2 & 3, lost 4 and won the 5th and advanced to the Canada West final which they won over the Brandon Bobcats.
The loss returned the favor from the previous year and gave the Spartans the tough draw at the National Tournament setting up the final meeting of the year in the National semi-final. While the Alberta Bears were an opponent that allowed the Spartans to play in their strength areas of physicality and net play, the Dinos were much different. Calgary forced the Spartans to pass and defend as they served primarily float serves and didn't allow the Spartan block to take over the matches. The battle of contrasting styles had gone the Dinos way more than not and the 2011 semi would be a battle of each team trying to impose their style on the match to swing the advantage in their favor.
The first game had the Spartans put up 10 blocks in the set and it was clear that TWU had control of the personality of the match. The Dinos responded by reducing their errors and forced the Spartans to play longer rallies which favored the Alberta based school. Neither of the first two sets were close with scores of 25-18 & 25-17. The third set, as is usually the case, was the most hotly contested of the evening as the host Spartans hung on to win 25-23. The 4th saw the Dinos respond in the same manner as the 2nd set. Their tough serving and ball control whittled the Spartans down to manageable size taking the set 25-20 but if it weren't for a late charge by the Spartans it would have been even more lop-sided.
Riding the momentum generated by the surge late in the 4th set and harnessing the energy of the nearly capacity Spartan Faithful the Spartans jumped out to a 5-1 lead and an 8-4 switch for the second consecutive night. Just when the Dinos began to make a late move to get back into the match Mikiah Schalk was inserted into the match as a serving sub. For those who have not had the pleasure of seeing Mikiah's serve it is the volleyball equivalent of turning your guitar amp up to 11, its one more than 10. Schalk unleashed three consecutive "Mik-Bombs" that resulted in two Spartan points and a swing for the match which the Dinos blocked prolonging the inevitable. What was beginning to look like a photo-finish turned into a 14-8 lead for the Spartans when Mikiah was done serving. On match point Lucas Van Berkel crushed a middle attack for the match and the Faithful rushed the court as the Spartans earned their second consecutive appearance in the National Final.
Prior to the match the Spartans shared Communion in the team-room as was this year's custom before home games. The team's Spiritual mentor Dave Johns shared some words with the team regarding the ritual of Communion and reiterated that we partake to remember the sacrifice that Christ made for all man-kind. His sacrifice freed man from the bonds of sin and opened the door for a personal relationship with Christ Himself. The sport application of this message was that the we should play with that same sense of freedom. Sport is a gift from God to be enjoyed, why burden ourselves with things that are so insignificant compared to the great sacrifice that Christ made. With this renewed perspective on the match the Spartans took the court and played with utter freedom the whole night. Not allowing tough spells to concern their performance and allowing them to make big play after big play leading to victory. The blending of Spirituality and Sport is why Trinity Western Spartans Athletics is the most unique of experiences and why many of the current players chose to play for TWU. This night was a triumph on the court but the lesson learned by the Spartans will echo in their lives for years to come.
I to believe it was William Wallace who said it best...FREEDOM!!!!
Go Spartans!!!
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