Lethbridge College’s men’s volleyball team is trying to do something the program has never done before – win a national championship. The Kodiaks are at the CCAA championships hosted by St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, from Thursday to Saturday.
The Kodiaks qualified for a wild card berth to nationals on the strength of a silver medal in the ACAC championship tournament that they hosted earlier this month. It marks the first time the Kodiaks have ever participated in the men’s volleyball national championship tournament.
“We are thrilled to attend the CCAA championship in Fredericton,” says Kodiaks head coach Greg Gibos. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for our athletes to see the country’s best teams and have an unforgettable experience. It’s also an amazing opportunity for our fifth-year athletes to end their CCAA careers.”
The Kodiaks will face Quebec’s RSEQ conference champion Cégep de Sherbrooke from Montréal in a quarterfinal on Thursday. The Kodiaks won the ACAC south division with a 20-4 record and spent most of the season in the top five of the CCAA national rankings. The team lost to Red Deer College in four sets in the ACAC championship, earning its second ACAC silver medal in the as many years.
The Kodiaks are led by ACAC all-time kills leader Carter Hansen (fifth year, General Studies, Magrath) who was named both an ACAC south division first team all-conference selection and an ACAC tournament all-star. Quinn Buchanan (second year, General Studies, Lethbridge) was also named an ACAC south division first team all-conference selection, while Tony Albizzati (fourth year, General Studies, Lethbridge) and Michael Hummel (fifth year, General Studies, Picture Butte) were named to the ACAC tournament all-star team.
The Volontaires de Sherbrooke finished first in the RSEQ with a 15-5 record and won the conference title with a five-set win over the Titans de Limoilou. Sherbrooke finished the regular season ranked fifth in the CCAA national rankings.
“We look forward to an intense competition and showcasing that Kodiaks volleyball is one of the best programs in the country,” says Gibos. “We would like to thank our supporters in Lethbridge and at Lethbridge College, and we look forward to representing our community and our institution at the highest level.”
The quarterfinal against Sherbrooke will start at noon MDT on Thursday. Semifinals will take place on Friday, with medal round games on Saturday.
The full schedule can be found on the CCAA website and all games can be streamed live online. Follow the Kodiaks tournament experience on gokodiaks.ca, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. High-quality photos are available to download from the Kodiaks Flickr account.