Queen’s Gaels will represent the OUA in the 2010 CIS Championships

A year after reaching the national final for the first time in seven seasons, the Laval Rouge et Or are heading into the CIS men’s volleyball championship as tournament favourites for the first time in a decade.

The seedings were announced Sunday evening for the 2010 CIS tourney set to kick off Friday at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. The gold-medal final of the eight-team competition is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. EST

Rounding out the seedings are the No. 2 and reigning two-time CIS champion Alberta Golden Bears (Canada West champions), No. 3 Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions), No. 4 Trinity Western Spartans (Canada West finalists), No. 5 Queen’s Gaels (OUA champions), No. 6 Calgary Dinos (Canada West bronze medallists), No. 7 Thompson Rivers WolfPack (championship hosts), and No. 8 Montreal Carabins (QSSF finalists).

SSN Canada will have live webcasts of all main-bracket duels, including the bronze-medal match.

photo courtesy: gogaelsgo.com

Get your Canadian volleyball fix online.

Volleyball Source magazine, a Canadian volleyball online magazine, was launched on Monday, March 8, by long-time touring beach player Ahren Cadieux, who knows just about everyone in the sport. Veteran volleyball writer Larry Humber handles the editorial.

They are joined by some winning correspondents, notably three-time Olympian Mark Heese, as well as fitness, mental conditioning and nutrition specialists. Source covers the Canadian volleyball scene and looks at the bigger picture, too. An interview with Canadian men’s National Team coach Glenn Hoag is a highlight of the inaugural issue.

You will also meet Tiffany Dodds and other Canucks who are having an impact internationally, even Jason Haldane, who may yet realize his Olympic dream. Not to forget two-time beach champion Matt Zbyszewski and two-sport sensation Paul Rosen, who is currently tending net at the Paralympic Games in Vancouver.

Source also looks at the next generation, Canada’s upcoming college and pro stars.

What more could you ask for?

Volleyball Source press release

The new magazine is colourful with plenty of photos, comes with embedded video and even has an audio component for those too lazy to read. You can become a Facebook fan and follow them on Twitter too. Best of all, it is free to those who sign up.

It is available online at www.volleyballsourcemag.com

DHS Senior Girls Volleyball team is ready to hit the Championship road.

The Dryden High School Senior Girls Volleyball team arrived in Perth Monday to compete in the “AA” OFSAA championship. The team has been ranked third in the province and will face some tough competition from the best teams from across Ontario. They are but one team among many seeking championships at four different levels of competition at four corners of Ontario. The hunt for “A” champions will take place in Kenora, “AAA” in Stratford and quad “A” in Barrie.

Some tournaments opened Monday with an athletes banquet, but all play begins today Tuesday, with finals taking place Wednesday, March 10.

The DHS Eagles play on Tuesday at 10:30 vs Don Bosco HS. The girls continue at 1:30 vs Perth, 4:30 vs De La Salle and 7:30 vs Beamsville.

Follow your girls team Official websites

photo courtesy: dhseagles.kpdsb.on.ca

Joren Zeeman recorded 24 points for Queen’s; Bryan Fautley added 11 kills while Niko Rukavina had 10. Winston Rosser of Whitby, Ont., was the leading hitter for Guelph with 14 kills

With the win, Queen’s advances to next weekend’s CIS Men’s Volleyball Championships at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C.

CIS

Get the full story from Jamie Howieson www.gogaelsgo.com

Reid just completed his first full season leading the Ryerson Rams women’s volleyball team, after being named head coach in November, 2008. The team has made a marked improvement since Reid took the helm. The Rams finished just out of the playoffs with an 8-11 record, but recorded their highest number of wins in five seasons.

A native of Newtonville, Reid grew up in Orono, attending Kirby Public School and Clarke High School. His contribution to the sport of volleyball started early, standing out as a top player on his high school volleyball team while also playing high school basketball, rugby and hockey.

“He’s had such a long career,” said his mother, Cheryl Reid. “It started at Clarke High School.” She said her son decided to concentrate on playing volleyball after his friend and mentor Ken Davies – a volleyball player at Clarke, four years Reid’s senior – was killed in 1989 by a drunk driver.

“Ken had some goals in mind for his own career,” explained Cheryl Reid. “Ken always wanted to play for Team Canada, and that prompted Dustin to pursue volleyball almost exclusively.”

Read more Sue Weigard

Citing the region as “underserved” in terms of opportunities for young men to play the sport, the 45-year-old father of two is hoping to get enough members for one or two teams at the 14-15 age group.

Vermaas says the club is designed for players who have already played volleyball in school who hope to reach the ultimate goal of the national championships.

“It’s not only an experience to reach the upper echelon in volleyball, but I think it’s a positive life experience,” he said. “It’s positive in terms of health and fitness in their future endeavors down the road. Hopefully it teaches them discipline and time management, and teamwork, all those things that will come into play during their lives.”

Vermaas, who has lived in Burlington for seven years, says he started noticed continuing requests for a boys league from other parents at his daughter’s volleyball club as far back as four years ago.

And while he doesn’t rule out the possibility of a more “grassroots” type club in the future, Vermaas says for now there will be three training camps held in the summer before the next OVA season begins.

Vermaas played the sport while attending the University of Toronto from 1984-88 and has coached at Ryerson and Upper Canada College. He currently coaches a girls team at the Halton Region Volleyball Club in Burlington.

For more information, contact Jeff at jeffv@hofland.com.

In a fitting twist to the OUA volleyball campaign, the Marauders will meet the Guelph Gryphons in their semi-final encounter this Friday, March 5. The Gryphons have been a perpetual thorn in Mac’s side this season, beating the OUA leaders in both of their previous games (3-1 and 3-0). Considering that the Marauders lost only three games in total, Guelph’s achievement is both impressive and puzzling. Either way, Mac will have the chance to redeem themselves in elimination play and put an end to the giant-killers.

Read more from Fraser Caldwell, the Si.ca

Queens University punched in its ticket to this weekend’s conference Final Four men’s volleyball tournament eliminating the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 25-15, 25-14, 27-25 on Friday night in OUA Conference quarterfinal action.

The Gaels, vying for their third Ontario university title in five years, were led by Joren Zeeman with 15 points, one of four players on the team to score in double digits. Mitchell Woodside and Adam Palmer had eight points each for Toronto.

McMaster has a bye to the Final Four as the top regular season team.

Read more including CIS West ,Volleyball Canada

University of Toronto Varsity Blues

In the 2007-2008 OUA championship final it was the McMaster Marauders defeating the Varsity Blues at the University of Toronto. The Blues returned the favour Saturday night at McMaster’s Burridge Gym, sweeping the OUA final 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-19). They are heading west to the University of Alberta in Edmonton to compete for the CIS Championships to be held  from Friday, March 5 to Sunday, March 7.

- Follow the Blues… http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wvball
- TV: Bronze-medal game and final on Shaw (local) and Star Choice (across Canada)
- Webcast (SSN Canada): All games (main bracket & consolation)
- Live stats: Available on website
- Berths (8 teams): Host (Alberta), CWUAA (3), QSSF (2), OUA (1), AUS (1)

In the Championship game, Terrel Bramwell led the Humber attack with 20 kills and 21 offensive points. Brian Archibald countered for the Sting with 17 kills.

Humber picks up the Gold, and Seneca the Silver, and it was the host Redeemer Royals who edged out Mohawk College for the Bronze medal. In the bronze medal game the Royals came through in a 5 set thriller after being down 2-0 to start. Game scores were 17-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-15, and 15-10. This is Redeemer’s first ever Men’s Volleyball medal.

For the Hawks, Jordan Langley and Derek Quinn were named as Tournament All-Stars along with Jason Hernandez and Brain Archibald from the Seneca Sting, and Ryan Talsma for the Redeemer Royals. Humber Hawk Terrel Bramwell was named the 2010 VSP OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship Tournament MVP.

Women, Cambrian College, Sudbury
The Nipissing Lady Lakers just missed out on a provincial championship, dropping the final two sets and settling for silver against the Humber Hawks in the OCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship game, Saturday.

Leading 2-1 after the first three sets, the Lady Lakers couldn’t close it out, with Humber rallying to take the final two sets in a 3-2 victory (20-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 15-9). It was Humber’s third consecutive OCAA women’s championship and Nipissing’s third straight silver.

The Mohawk Mountaineers won the bronze medal with a tough 3-2 battle over the Fanshawe Falcons of London, 25-23, 25-19 23-25, 23-25, 15-11.

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