March 10th, 2011 - Langley, BC
After taking on the Spartans' biggest rivals in the quarter-final and semi-final and going the distance in both the question on everyone's minds was "do the Spartans have enough left for one more match?" The physical and emotional toll on the team was extensive but for 365 days the Spartans had been preparing for another shot at the Title. Emotion would not be an issue. To help the Spartans along the way was a sellout of the Langley Events Centre. Everywhere you looked there were Spartan Faithful yellow t's, painted bodies, noise makers holding noise makers and all the rest of those who came to see this team of destiny, the Spartans.
The pre-game speech was simple: "take a look around you...(pause as the athletes looked around the team room looking each other in the eye)...enough said...1-2-Spartans!!!" Simple statements often say more than enough. In that moment those who were about to take the court in the Championship final needed to look no further for all the motivation they would need than the guy on their left and right. This team had been building all year with the "band of brothers" mentality. The question was not "what would you do for your brother" rather "what wouldn't you do?" With their tanks full and joy in their hearts the Spartans ran into the LEC to an eruption of noise that no one has heard in that building...yet.
Very early it was clear the Spartans had saved their best for the final as they rolled through the first set blocking their way to a 25-12 set win. The game plan was also simple: serve tough and block Paul Sanderson. The 2009-2010 CIS Player of the Year is maybe the country's most dangerous hitter and for the Spartans to be successful they would have to limit his impact for the Brandon Bobcats. Set 1 = mission successful as the Spartans held the Bobcats to a staggering -30% attack efficiency or in normal terms 5 kills & 15 attack errors and even simpler terms, not good. Set 1 was won by the Spartans and Spartan Faithful on sheer emotion. As the match continued the Spartans fervor slowly came back to a "normal" level as the Bobcats began to make adjustments and adapt to the ruckus environment. The Spartans held on for a 25-22 lead and won their first set of the tournament on the "away" side of the gym.
Set 3 saw the Bobcats continue to find their rhythm and the Spartans showed signs of the weariness that anyone could expect after playing 10 sets the previous 2 nights of all out inspired volleyball. The game was tight through the early and middle sections with the Spartans behind by just 2 points (14-16). The Bobcats made a surge in the final third of the game and took a 23-20 lead and were looking to extend the night and delay the celebration. At that point the Spartans rallied in one last ditch effort to get back into the game and did they ever:
20-23: Brandon hits out of bounds
21-23: Ball & Jansen Van Doorn Roof Block
22-23: Lucas Van Berkel serves the Ace
23-23: Brandon Kill by Paul Sanderson
23-24: Rudy kills the ball to tie the game
24-24: Rudy is blocked to give Brandon the advantage
24-25: Brandon misses their serve, the Faithful strike again
25-25: Rudy serves and Brandon is called for a setting violation, the LEC goes nuts...match point Spartans
25-26: With the whole gym standing, arms raised and the familiar single finger held high signifying "One More Point," Rudy serves, Brandon sets Sanderson on a pipe, the Spartans are ready with a 3 man block...BLOCKED!!! GAME OVER!!! SPARTANS WIN, SPARTANS WIN, SPARTANS WIN!!!
Nearly 500 Spartan Faithful rush the team as the student section emptied onto the court in the most beautiful scene of blue, yellow, white, paint, sticks, pots, pans and bodies strewn about the playing floor. When the scene couldn't be more perfect two athletes rise above the crowd. Rudy Verhoeff and Ben Ball are picked up by some Faithful and amongst the sea of Yellow and Blue two White clad figures are held high with arms raised overlooking the celebration. It was a visual that none of us in attendance will ever forget. The joy, relief and elation in the moment was one of those things you wish you could bottle and send around the world. After much jumping, cheering, hugging and crying the floor was cleared for the medal presentations.
Almost no one left as the crowd waited patiently for the Spartans to receive what they earned...medals, banner & Tantramar Trophy all signifying they are National Champions. The crowd cheered as each team member received their medals and the joy on the faces of the Spartans lit up the LEC. Then the moment came, the "Captains" were called up to receive the trophy and banner. As is the custom with the Spartan Men's Volleyball team there are really no captains. There is a floor captain, as needed by volleyball regulations, and there are leaders. This year there were 15 of them, each called to add their own flavor of leadership to the group in an attempt to reduce the burden the team had to bear. So the two fifth year graduating seniors, Josh Doornenbal and Mikiah Schalk, joined the floor captain Rudy Verhoeff in accepting the symbols of the Championship. The team rushed to join in the hoisting of the Tantramar for the program's second time (2006, also 3-0). Then the photo op that every team in September dreams of. With the Tantramar sitting front and centre, the Championship banner draped on the floor extending from a most jubilant group of young men all with "one finger raised." For the first time that weekend the "one" didn't signal the need for one more point, it was in recognition that after heart break a year ago, a full year of training, lifting, sweating, failing and succeeding they had earned the right to be #1...CIS National Champions.
The question was posed more than a few times in the post game, "how were the guys able to play with so much passion and precision after such a tough first two days of the tournament?" The week leading up to the tournament the team used the example of Eric Liddell, gold medalist and subject of the movie Chariots of Fire. There is a youtube clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwyltmUR3MU&feature=related) where Liddell states that God has created him for a purpose, but he also created him fast, when he runs he feels God's pleasure. That same message was given to the guys. They two were created by God for a purpose, but they were also created with amazing gifts and talents that lend themselves to volleyball. The team attempted to enjoy their gifts and talents with the intent of feeling God's pleasure when they played. So how did they play three exceptional matches in three days, emptying their tanks each and every one? The felt God's pleasure and the Joy it provided gave more than enough emotion and resilience to compete.
The post game speech wasn't so simple. The Championship weekend saw the team come full circle as they revisited many of the Spiritual principles that were laid down in Russia. The concepts of Freedom, Point Match and feeling God' pleasure in doing whatever they do were rooted deep within the psyche of each one. These lessons were learned through competing in a volleyball tournament but the challenge was laid out to the team that they now must take these lessons with them as they move beyond volleyball. As they move into careers, become husbands and fathers these lessons learned will help make improvements to all the phases of their lives. This Championship's legacy will not just hang on the wall of the David E. Enarson Gymnasium but it will serve as a constant reminder to these 15 young men that God will Honor those who Honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).
Go Spartans!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment