“We are extremely proud to be hosting this event,” athletic director Jim Flack said. “Our staff has proven time after time that they are capable of executing an event of this magnitude and we are looking forward to welcoming the entire OCAA volleyball community.”

“This is certainly an exciting time for our institution,” added varsity coordinator and tournament chair, Wayne Fish. “Our men’s volleyball program has a very rich history and we are eagerly looking forward to adding yet another chapter to it.”

The event will be held at the J.M Porter Athletic Centre, situated on the west side of Sheridan’s Trafalgar Road Campus in Oakville.

While in previous years the host institution was not guaranteed a spot in the tournament, that will change this year and before the season begins in the fall the Bruins will have their slot secured.

This marks the first time that Sheridan has played host to a championship event since the 1993 CCAA National Championship tournament.

They won the bronze medal in that tournament and prior to that won their record sixth consecutive OCAA crown.

The double-blue last played host to the OCAA Championship tournament in 1991 and went on to defeat Cambrian in the championship match — their third of the record six-straight — without dropping a set during tournament play.

The Sheridan Bruins men’s volleyball team is the most decorated in OCAA history, having won 11 provincial titles to go with one national championship (82-83).

They have won three other national medals (one silver, two bronze) and are the only OCAA school to appear in the national championship game twice (82-83 and 89-90).

The men’s volleyball program has also had a profound impact on the Sheridan Bruins Hall of Fame, with five players — Mike Albert, Martin Kerstens, Chris Tiernay, Andre Avedissian and Rob Brown  — one coach Paul Reader — and one team — the 1982-83 Ontario and National Champions — having already been enshrined.

Sheridan will also play host to the OCAA men’s and women’s volleyball All-Star games on March 15 and 16.

Story submitted by Ryan Kelly for Sheridan College | SheridanBruins.com

Though the volleyball season doesn’t start until October, the quest for gold has already begun. The Niagara College women’s team has already been hitting the court with plans to progress past their fourth-place finish in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association West Region and a two-and-out showing at the provincial championships.

After searching for players with enough experience to immediately compete at the college level, Knights head coach Joey Martins is confident he’s got a solid crop of recruits under his wing this year.

To help both recruits and veterans “get the rust off” and ready for September, Martins is hosting practice sessions each month through the summer, including one held Saturday that pitted the Knights against the Burlington Blaze under-18 girls team.

“I like the athleticism that’s coming in,” Martins said following several sets.

Ending last season stronger than in the past has left Martins, the West Region’s coach of the year, confident his players will give it their all to reach the all-Ontario finals once again.

“They know they can do it,” he said.

Team veteran Jenna Bray believes they can, and she’s already got her eye on the prize — an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association medal.

“We want to progress from last year,” she said, adding the team is motivated to do just that.

As for the new players, Bray said they’re “fitting in really well with the team.”

Selecting the right recruits can make or break a season, she said, confident in her coach’s picks.

Volleyball was the main reason Lindsay Harkins from Sarnia opted for Niagara College in September. Hoping she might get some time on the court has motivated her to stay on the ball with training this summer.

“I hope to gain a lot of experience playing with a higher level team than high school and club,” said the 17-year-old, adding she’s also looking to experience new coaching styles.

“I’ve already learned it’s a lot harder than what I’m used to playing,” said Harkins, who has had two already taken part in two sessions with the Niagara College team.

Dedication for the sport at the college level is a challenge, but it’s one she said she’s ready to take on.

Andrea Stoskopf is also ready for the hard work awaiting her over the next few months.

“I want to improve and practise over the summer, get stronger,” the 17-year-old said between sets.

She was impressed by the athletic skills of the team’s returning players, something which prompted her to want to work even harder to earn her spot on the court.

“We had such a great start last year, we want to continue that,” said returning player Ava Sarkis, a Welland native and the team’s setter.

Reaching the OCAA playoffs last year has only further motivated the girls to hit their stride and bring all they’ve got to the court, she added.

That’s the plan for team veteran Nicole Schoonderwoerd, who’s expecting to train hard this summer.

“I want to jump higher, swing faster and hit harder,” Niagara’s rookie female athlete for the 2011-12 season said.

Looking back at last season, Schoonderwoerd believes there are times she could’ve worked harder on and off the court. This year, she’s not leaving any room for error.

Knowing the Knights made is as far as they did in playoffs has left her certain that extra work will lead to achieving their sought after goal — an OCAA medal.

Story by Maryanne Firth for The Welland Tribune | WellandTribune.ca

Highlighting the group is a pair of top local talents in Roshanna Matthews and Gabriella Miletic from St. Joseph’s HS. They will be joined by provincial standouts Shannon Dean, Emily Durand, Megan Pike, Marissa Thomson and Kelsey Dynes.

Widely regarded as an outstanding recruiter in the OUA, Hodgson believes this group of incoming athletes will be part of the foundation for his program going forward.

“We are really excited about our first recruiting class here at Windsor and the level of talent we’re bringing in,” commented Coach Hogdson. “This is a starting point for us to become a consistent contender in the OUA. We expect these girls to make an impact with our program right away.”

Locally, Roshanna Matthews is a 6’0 middle blocker from Windsor who played for the South County Bandits of the Ontario Volleyball Association. Considered to be one of the top local players in the city, she joins the Lancers from St. Joseph’s Catholic School where she helped lead them to an OFSAA berth for the second straight year.

“Roshanna is a dynamic player who brings an exciting style of play to the court,” said Hodgson. “She has the size and athleticism to play right away and we expect her to be a cornerstone of the program for years to come.”

Gabriella Miletic is a 6’0 setter also out of Windsor who also played for the South County Bandits. A teammate of Matthews at St. Joseph’s High School and also a top local standout, she is also expected to make an impact with the team immediately.

“Gabie is a left handed setter that has huge potential at the university level,” said Hodgson. It’s no secret that we wanted to get bigger and more athletic and Gabie fits that bill. She is a fierce competitor that wants to win and pushes to be better all the time.”

Shannon Dean, a 5’11”outside hitter will arrive at the University of Windsor from the Durham region where she played for Henry Street High School in Whitby. Considered to be one of the top junior players in the province, she recently completed her final season with Durham Region Volleyball Club of the Ontario Volleyball Association.

“We are thrilled that Shannon has committed to join our Lancer program,” added Hodgson. “In addition to being an elite athlete, she is that rare hybrid player that can play all positions on the court because of her tremendous athleticism.”

Emily Durand is a 5’8” Libero out of Niagara who played for the Niagara Rapids in the Ontario Volleyball Association. A skilled player with great poise, she attended E.L. Crossley High School where she will be valedictorian at her June graduation.

“I’ve been fortunate to coach Emily for the past few seasons with the regional team and previously with our club team in Niagara,” added Hodgson. “She has very high volleyball IQ and has an ability to read plays so she is in the right position defensively. We’re excited she’ll be wearing the blue and gold next season.”

Megan Pike is a 6’2” middle blocker out of Stratford where she led her high school to the city championship this past season. She is another skilled incoming player who will provide great size in the middle.

“Megan clearly gives us the size we’ve been looking for in the middle and she also moves very well laterally,” commented Hodgson. “We think with her skill set that she is going to surprise a lot of people in the OUA with her blocking ability.”

Marissa Thomson is a 5’9” outside hitter also out of Stratford, Ontario. This past season, she helped lead her OVA Stratford Stingers squad to a gold medal in their division while also helping her St Michael’s high school team to a silver medal at AAA OFSAA that was held in Windsor in March.

“Marissa is very calm and cool under pressure on the court and does not get rattled easily which will help her adapt quickly at the next level,” added Hodgson. “She is another great athlete with very good ball control which is going to allow us to run our offense effectively.”

Kelsey Dynes is a 5’9” setter out of London who travels to Kitchener each week to play for the K-W Predators of the OVA. As one of the elite high school players in the London region, Kelsey won the 2011-12 Quigley Award as London’s Ms. Volleyball as the top player in her conference.

“Kelsey is going to add more depth at the setting position and will really push to make not only herself but the team better as well,” added Hodgson. “We’ve been really impressed by her work ethic and we know she’ll bring a positive attitude to our team.”

With seven recruits currently committed for the upcoming 2012-2013 season. Coach Hodgson is excited about where his program is headed in the future.

“This is not only a great group of volleyball players but also a committed group of student-athletes,” said Hodgson. “It’s great progress for our program to have a talented group like this set to attend the University of Windsor and be part of our Lancer Volleyball team. My coaching staff and I are looking forward to helping them grow and succeed at the university level in all aspects of student life.”

Story submitted by Lucas Hodgson on behalf of the Windsor Lancers | GoLancers.ca

‘’We didn’t play very well,’’ said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag of Gatineau, Que.  ‘’We made too many errors and the Americans really put the pressure on us with their service and their blocking game.’’

Up to that point it had been a remarkable tournament for the Canadians ranked 18th in the world.  They went 3-0 in the round robin, not even losing a set, which included wins over world number-17 Puerto Rico and world number-five Cuba.  In the semifinal Friday, they beat the Puerto Ricans again in a five-set thriller.

But against one of the sport’s true superpowers the Canadians met their match.  The Americans, who only lost one set all week, will now have an opportunity to defend their Olympic title.

‘’We showed a lot of great things over this week,’’ said Hoag.  ‘’But we’re still a team that sometimes lacks finish and some confidence and that can’t happen when you play a team like the U.S.’’

Dallas Soonias was the top Canadian scorer Saturday with 19 points while Fred Winters of Victoria added 12.

Canada’s season is far from over though.  They open the World League tournament this weekend in Toronto at the Ricoh Coliseum with matches against Finland on Friday at 4 p.m., world number-one Brazil on Saturday at 4 p.m. and world number-four Poland on Sunday at 8 p.m.

The World League is a 16 –country tournament that runs until July 8 and offers the biggest cash prizes in the sport.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

While at Laurier in 2010, Gordon was voted OUA Rookie of the Year, CIS All-Rookie team and an OUA Second Team All-Star. Previous to that, Julie played club volleyball for the Aurora Storm volleyball club earning multiple provincial medals and All-Star awards and was also a multi-year Team Ontario athlete winning a silver medal at the NTCC championships in 2009.

“We are again fortunate to pick up another Laurier transfer after adding Alanna Kirchner to the squad this past year,” said University of Guelph head coach Paul Funk. “Julie is truly an outstanding athlete who has had quite a bit of success at high levels. Since we lose Brooke Lloyd to graduation, Julie has a chance to come in and make an immediate impact on the left side and her previous experience will also add some needed veteran presence to our lineup. “

Regarding coming to Guelph in the fall, Julie stated, “I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to practice with Guelph once a week this past season. From the first practice with them I knew I wanted to transfer to Guelph. The girls welcomed me with open arms, and made me feel like a member of the team right away. The coaching staff is brilliant and I immediately felt as though I fit in with their style of play. I am very confident in this team, and I believe we will have a lot of success this upcoming season.”

The Gryphons finished this past season with a 9-9 regular season record and fell to Ottawa in the conference quarter-finals.

Story submitted by Michelle Pino for the Guelph Gryphons | Gryphons.ca

The Canadians, ranked 18th internationally, finish in first place in Group B with a perfect 3-0 mark and get a bye to the semifinal on Friday.  Cuba places second at 2-1 and faces Trinidad and Tobago in a quarterfinal match on Thursday.

The tournament winner qualifies for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

‘’We had a really good beat on Cuba’s offensive strategies,’’ said Canadian setter Josh Howatson of Victoria.  ‘’We made very few errors and our passing was especially strong.  With every match we’ve played a harder opponent and we’ve gotten better too.’’

Schmitt produced 21 points for the Canadians while Winters added 16 and was a perfect 15-for-15 attacking.  Toon Van Lankvelt of Rivers, Man., had eight points and led the Canadians with four successful blocks.

‘’It’s a total team victory,’’ said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag of Gatineau, Que.  ‘’We have a system that the players believe in and every one played their role.  That was the biggest highlight for me.  We’ve seen this team grow for six years and these are the kind of performances we knew we were capable of.’’

The Canadians capitalized on six service errors by the Cubans in the first set to grab a 1-0 lead in sets.  A five point run late in the second that included three offensive errors by the Cubans put the Canadians up for good.  The third set was the Gavin Schmitt show as he collected 10 of his 21 points.

In Wednesday’s other matches, Puerto Rico defeated the Dominican Republic 25-15, 25-18, 25-15 for third place in Group B and a quarterfinal berth.  In Group A, Trinidad and Tobago beat Costa Rica 25-18, 25-23, 25-19 for third spot. The U.S., faced Mexico for top spot later Wednesday.

The second and third place teams in each group crossover for Thursday’s quarterfinal.  The semis are on Friday and the medal matches Saturday.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

Canada improves its record to 2-0 in round robin play and will face world number-five Cuba for first spot in its group and a bye to the semifinal on Wednesday at 9 p.m. (EDT). The tournament champion earns a ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.

‘’It’s nice to get these wins, we’re only going to get better,’’ said middle blocker Steve Brinkman of Bowmanville, Ont., playing in his 213th international match for Canada.  ‘’We are really finding our rhythm and are excited about the rest of this tournament.’’

Although Canada is ranked 18th in the world and Puerto Rico 17th, the Canadians dominated the match with a strong blocking game.  Led by Van Lankvelt and Brinkman with six points on the block each, the Canadians outblocked their opponents 15-3.

‘’Our blocking system continued to work well tonight,’’ said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag.  ‘’It really frustrated Puerto Rico.  Our guys stayed concentrated and respected the game plan.  There was some concern with our service game, but overall I’m really pleased.’’

Schmitt continued to fire missiles on the attack adding 14 points for the Canadians while Libero Dan Lewis of Oakville, Ont., displayed amazing ball control and retrieval abilities.

‘’Dan is our leader on defense,’’ said Hoag. ‘’He really keeps it organized and he was really well concentrated tonight and had a super game.’’

Brinkman likes the consistency on the Canadian team.

‘’Every year we are finding it easier and easier to find our game early in the season,’’ he said.  ‘’The training we have done with this group over the last couple of years has really paid off.  I’ve been with some great Canadian teams, but this group I feel is something special.’’

In other matches, Tuesday, Cuba defeated the Dominican Republic 25-15, 25-21, 25-15 and Mexico beat Trinidad and Tobago 25-18, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22. The U.S., played Costa Rica in Tuesday’s late match.

The first place teams in each group get a bye to the semis while second and third cross over in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 8, 2012) – Toon Van Lankvelt of Rivers, Man., scored a game high 16 points Tuesday as Canada dumped Puerto Rico 25-19, 25-20, 25-13 at the Olympic qualifying tournament in men’s volleyball.

Canada improves its record to 2-0 in round robin play and will face world number-five Cuba for first spot in its group and a bye to the semifinal on Wednesday at 9 p.m. (EDT). The tournament champion earns a ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.

‘’It’s nice to get these wins, we’re only going to get better,’’ said middle blocker Steve Brinkman of Bowmanville, Ont., playing in his 213th international match for Canada.  ‘’We are really finding our rhythm and are excited about the rest of this tournament.’’

Although Canada is ranked 18th in the world and Puerto Rico 17th, the Canadians dominated the match with a strong blocking game. Led by Van Lankvelt and Brinkman with six points on the block each, the Canadians outblocked their opponents 15-3.

‘’Our blocking system continued to work well tonight,’’ said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag.  ‘’It really frustrated Puerto Rico.  Our guys stayed concentrated and respected the game plan.  There was some concern with our service game, but overall I’m really pleased.’’

Schmitt continued to fire missiles on the attack adding 14 points for the Canadians while Libero Dan Lewis of Oakville, Ont., displayed amazing ball control and retrieval abilities.

‘’Dan is our leader on defence,’’ said Hoag. ‘’He really keeps it organized and he was really well concentrated tonight and had a super game.’’

Brinkman likes the consistency on the Canadian team.

‘’Every year we are finding it easier and easier to find our game early in the season,’’ he said.  ‘’The training we have done with this group over the last couple of years has really paid off.  I’ve been with some great Canadian teams, but this group I feel is something special.’’

In other matches, Tuesday, Cuba defeated the Dominican Republic 25-15, 25-21, 25-15 and Mexico beat Trinidad and Tobago 25-18, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22. The U.S., played Costa Rica in Tuesday’s late match.

The first place teams in each group get a bye to the semis while second and third cross over in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

All matches are carried live with play-by-play at www.usavlive.com

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SCHEDULE

• May 8:Canada vs Puerto Rico, 9 p.m. (EDT)
• May 9: Canada vs Cuba, 9 p.m. (EDT)
• May 10: quarterfinals
• May 11: semifinals
• May 12: finals

WEBCASTS: www.usavlive.com

TOURNAMENT WEBSITE: www.norceca.org

TEAM CANADA ROSTER

• Left Sides: Nicholas Cundy, Edmonton; Toontje Van Lankvelt, Rivers, Man.; Fred Winters, Victoria; Gord Perrin, Creston, B.C.
• Middle Blockers: Justin Duff, Winnipeg; Steve Brinkman, Bowmanville, Ont.; Adam Kaminski, Chatham, Ont.
• Right Sides: Dallas Soonias, Red Deer, Alta.; Gavin Schmitt, Saskatoon.
• Setters: Josh Howatson, Victoria; Dustin Schneider, Brandon, Man;
• Liberos: Dan Lewis, Oakville, Ont.

Head Coach: Glenn Hoag
Asst Coach: Vincent Pichette
Team Manager: Julien Boucher
Statistician: Christopher Galbraith
Physiotherapist: Mathieu Seguin

Story from volleyball.ca

The winner of the tournament earns a ticket to the 2012 Games in London.

‘’We had a high quality training period with a lot of intensity,’’ said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag of Gatineau, Que.  ‘’I was very pleased.  We could only bring 12 players so it was tough selection.  It was a talented group in training and they all brought something important to the team.’’

Hoag has been pleased with Canada’s performances over the last couple of seasons which included qualifying for the World League for the first time in five years last summer.  He wants to maintain the same playing system for 2012.

‘’What’s been successful is that we have consistently improved,’’ said Hoag.  ‘’The players have improved, gained experience and now there is a new level of maturity on this team.’’

Schmitt, who enjoyed another superb pro season in South Korea leading his squad to the league title and repeating as league MVP, says the players picked up where they left off last season coming back from their pro assignments.

‘’Nothing had to be reestablished in training and everyone was on the same page,’’ said Schmitt. ‘’The guys did their homework and we feel good about our situation.’’

Canada, ranked 18th in the world, is in Group B with Cuba (world number-five), Puerto Rico (17) and the Dominican Republic (46).  Group A is comprised of the U.S., (6), Mexico (23) and Trinidad and Tobago (33).

‘’There’s no doubt we have a tall order to win this tournament but we’ve had success in the past against those countries, ’’said Schmitt.  ‘’And we are coming off a very successful summer.  We’re pumped to play.’’

The Canadians open round robin play May 7 against the Dominicans followed by matches May 8 against Puerto Rico and May 9 vs Cuba.  Last year, Canada knocked Puerto Rico out of the World League winning both matches in a two-match qualifying series and also beat them twice at the Pan Am Cup.

The Canadians also downed the Dominican Republic and Mexico at the same Pan Am Cup.  In 2010, Canada earned one win in three matches against Cuba in a world championships warm-up series.

Canada’s last appearance in men’s volleyball at the Olympics was in 1992.

SCHEDULE

May 7: Canada vs Dominican Republic, 4 p.m. (EDT)

May 8:Canada vs Puerto Rico, 9 p.m. (EDT)

May 9: Canada vs Cuba, 9 p.m. (EDT)

May 10: quarterfinals

May 11: semifinals

May 12: finals

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website |Volleyball.ca

The Dominicans, the highest ranked team at the tournament at No. 9 in the world, took the match 25-15, 25-18, 25-15.

They will face Cuba for the Olympic spot in the tournament final on Saturday.

Sarah Pavan of Kitchener, Ont., led the Canadians with 12 points while Vancouver’s Elizabeth Cordonier added seven.

Canada went 1-2 in the round robin earlier this week losing to Puerto Rico and the Dominicans before hammering Honduras to gain a playoff berth.

The Canadians looked impressive Wednesday in a quarter-final victory over Mexico but ran into a tough Dominican squad.

Canada ended the tournament in fourth place on Saturday, after losing the bronze medal match against Puerto Rico. The last Olympic appearance for Canada in women’s volleyball was in 1996.

Story from The Globe and Mail | TheGlobeandMail.com