Setting the table

Rex Fenton

Recent Men's Volleyball recruit, Rex Fenton, capped of an amazing run at the 2011 Beach National Championships securing the gold medal in the U21 division. Fenton and partner Alex Oneid from Queens University won in decisive fashion, 2-0 (21-8, 21-11) against Rosso/Segiin from Quebec ... the same team they had lost to in their first match of the tournament! Despite the early 2-1 setback in pool play, Rex and Alex refused to be denied the rest of the way and even rallied from 1 set down and 19-16 deficit in the Quarter-final on their road to gold.

A credit to Fenton's character, he was quoted afterwards saying, 'I've known Alex since grade 7. I played with him all through high school and club. He's one of my best friends so it was even more special to win a championship with him!'.

Coach Hudson on his new setter's the gold medal, 'We are all proud of Rex. I knew from our early conversations he was a winner ... his will and determination were evident even then. We continually challenge all our athletes and coaches to use their summers wisely and come back better for the team and in turn make their team-mates better. The simple fact that Rex participated in the Ontario U23 Indoor High Performance Camp and then went out to the beach and won a gold medal is a testament to his commitment to his new team-mates and our program'.

Open Gym and Tryouts for 2011-2012 Season

The Douglas College Men's Volleyball Program will be running Open Gyms the following dates

• Wed. June 29 700-1000pm
• Wed. July 06 700-1000pm
• Tues. Aug. 23 400-600pm
• Thurs. Aug.25 400-600pm
• Tues. Aug.30 400-600pm
• Thurs. Sept.01 400-600pm

These are times to anyone interested in trying out for the 11/12 Men's Varsity Squad.

The Official Selection Camp will be held on the following dates:

• Tues. Sept.06 430-600pm ***there will be a brief meeting at 400pm
• Wed. Sept.07 400-530pm
• Thurs. Sept.08 430-600pm

Please fill out the REGISTRATION FORM prior to attending the open gyms or tryouts

Graham Stoliker joins Volleyball Royals fall Line up

Graham Stoliker

Douglas College Men’s Volleyball is pleased to announce the fifth member of its recruiting class for the 2011/12 season.

Setter, Graham Stoliker will be joining the Royals in their pursuit of BCCAA and CCAA excellence.

The 6’1 product of Tamanawis High School comes to Douglas College fresh off a fourth place showing with his Fraser Valley Volleyball Club. Stoliker has also represented BC as Captain of the 2009 Western Elites squad. He will look to become an integral member of this summer’s Team BC squad competing at the Western Canada Summer Games after being selected by the summer programs Head Coach, Pat Hennely of TRU.

Royals Head Coach Brad Hudson on his latest addition, ‘I am extremely happy Graham has decided to join our squad. His release is as good as I’ve seen ... especially when you consider he’s only been setting for two years. His pace and location are second to none. ‘

Royals announce recuiting class

The Douglas Men’s volleyball program have signed Rex Fenton (6’3 Setter, Ottawa - Glebe Collegiate Institute), Nick Bridle (6’6 Middle, Delta – South Delta Secondary), Drew Ruby (6’3 Outside, Surrey – Clayton Heights), and Preston Wong (6’1 Outside, Burnaby – Bby. North) to form the incoming 2011/12 freshman class announced Head Coach, Brad Hudson. The four new Royals comprise one of the top recruiting classes in the province.

Rex Fenton

“We are very excited to have Rex join us next season,” said Hudson. “He is an outstanding athlete who can make plays all over the court. He also comes to us hungry for success and we believe this passion and commitment will impact our entire squad for years to come.”

Fenton, a 6’3 setter from Ontario, led his high school team to an undefeated season and Provincial Championship (51-0), represented Canada at the U19 World Championships, and won a silver medal with Team Ontario in 2009 (where he competed against current teammate, Kaleb Dawe and former Royal, Mike Plantinga) at the Canada Games. The Royals outside attacking core will be complemented with the additions of Ruby and Wong. “I believe Drew’s intangibles will set him apart. He is feisty, tough, and competitive. Even though he’s only played leftside for two years, Drew’s offensive game is strength. He is a gifted, physical attacker.” As for Wong, “Preston will surprise people. He has a terrific passing platform and a live arm” concluded Coach Hudson.

Drew Ruby

Ruby, a 6’3 Outside Hitter from Surrey, was the 7th ranked player on the Province’s Best of BC list this year and was an integral member on last summer’s U17 Team BC squad.

Preston Wong

Wong, a 6’1 Outside Hitter from Burnaby, has led his Burnaby North Vikings to consecutive District Championships. He was named the Most Valuable Player at the Lower Mainland Championships.

Nick Bridle

6’6 Middle Blocker, Nick Bridle rounds out the Royals recruiting class. “I’m excited to have Nick with us. His length and ball control set him apart at his position. I’m confident after spending time in our training environment and lifting with our Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jake Elder, Nick will become an impact net player in the BCCAA” added Coach Hudson. The newest Royals look forward to joining their teammates in the fall of 2011. The Royals will build through an arduous training camp and pre-season highlighted by the Royals College Invitational on Thanksgiving weekend. League play will begin October 14th where the Royals will look to defend home court against the UFV Cascades.

Royals rally in bronze showdown

Outside Hitter Matt Lieuwen sparked the Royals with 13 kills to
earn Player of the Match honours in the Bronze-medal game.

The Douglas men’s volleyball squad took home Bronze after rallying to defeat Vancouver Island University Mariners 3 sets to 2 (15-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 15-9) at the BCCAA championships at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna.

It was a yo-yo battle with the Mariners leading 2-1 before Douglas stormed back to win the final two sets. Defense was the key to the Royals’ victory, as they notched more digs and twice as many blocks as the Mariners, with 52 and 8.0 respectively, compared to the Mariners’ 48 and 4.0.

Douglas was also more efficient on their offense, and starting setter Kaleb Dawe assisted 41 points for his team.

Second-year Outside Hitter Matt Lieuwen won the Player of the Match Award for Douglas with team high 13 kills.

The second-seed Royals were happy with the epic win after having their gold-medal aspirations cancelled by CBC on Friday. Red-hot Columbia Bible College followed up on a 3-0 preliminary win over UCFV to sweep the Royals in straight sets (25-21, 25-18, 26-24).

Dawe received Player of the Match honours for the Royals, amassing 33 assists and contributing 3 hits. Colombia Bible College second-year setter Jason Warkentin received Player of the Match honours for the Bearcats, chipping in 28 assists for his team. Jeff Taylor and Lieuwen contributed 15 and 10 kills respectively for the Royals.

Men's Volleyball Provincials Bound

Provincials Bound

With an outstanding second place finish in a highly competitive BCCAA, the men's volleyball team looks ahead to the provincial tournament where a win will most likely send them to the national tournament. The Royals will face the winner of CBC and UFV in the semi-final match with the winner gauranteed a spot in the National Championships hosted at Sherbrooke College, QC. The Royals have faced off agianst both teams during league play besting the Bearcats 3-1 and 3-2 in their meetings and 3-0 and 3-0 versus the Cascades.

For more information regarding game times and full tournament information check out http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/provincials/welcome.html

Men's Volleyball find cure for the Blues

Jeff Taylor
photo Jerald Walliser

As it currently stands the Royals Men's volleyball sit third in the conference and ranked 14th in the Nation. Saturday night the Royals bested the Capilano Blues 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-17) with fourth year OH, Jeff Taylor leading the way with 12 points in a set in a half of play. Team Captain, Brendan Patterson was a steadying force with 5 kills, 1 stuff block and 5 digs (also in a set and a half).

On the rookie front, first year OH/MB showed flashes of his potential 5 kills, 3 stuff blocks, and 2 digs. Last weekend the Royals protected home court with convincing 3-0 wins vs the VIU Mariners and the Camosun Chargers.

Coach Hudson on the two wins, 'against Camosun we did some things very well. Of our 75 total points, 50 came from kills, blocks, and aces which is encouraging ... it means we are scoring the points, taking control of rallies when we have the chance. Against VIU I felt our systems play was sharp and we were able to put allot of pressure on them'.

Men's Volleyball best the Bearcats

On Friday October 22nd the Douglas Men’s Volleyball team wrapped up its 10/11 pre-season, exhibition schedule with a solid 3-0 win vs. the Columbia Bible College Bearcats. The hard fought match took place on the Bearcats home court in front of a spirited crowd. It was clear both teams approached the match with the intention of leaving everything on the floor but the new-look Royals found the will needed to secure the win by set scores of 25-19, 25-21-25-22.

Leading the way for the Royals were 5th year Libero, Huan Pham and 3rd year left side, Brendan Patterson. Pham controlled the serve reception for the Royals passing a 3.0 with 67% of the attempts perfect allowing setter, Kaleb Dawe to run a balanced offence. Patterson led the way with 14 points on 12 kills and 2 aces. Also contributing a well-rounded 14 points was Jeff Taylor, with 8 kills, 4 stuff blocks, and 2 aces.

Concluded Coach Hudson on the team’s progress,” It’s an exciting time for our program. We finally have a core leadership group who understand the commitment and sacrifice needed to compete at the highest levels. Plus, the young players we’ve brought in have exceptional character. While we clearly have a number of things to work on, we view that as a positive. We’ve developed a base level of trust within the room. Once that trust and belief in each other has been established we can truly challenge ourselves.”

The Royals will now have two weeks to prepare before heading off to begin league play against the Selkirk College Saints and the UBCO Heat.

Men's Volleyball host Annual Tourney

Men's Volleyball Team
photo Jerald Walliser

Heading into the weekend with nothing to do? Come check out our Men's Volleyball team as the take on College and University Club teams in their Annual DC Royals Volleyball Tournament. Games run through the weekend with the feature match taking place Friday 8pm as the home team takes on the Huskies from Keyano.

Leaving No Stone Unturned

Heading into the 10/11 season Men’s Volleyball Head Coach, Brad Hudson is determined to enable and empower his athletes. “Over time, we’ve laid a solid foundation here at Douglas College. We’ve been ranked nationally every year, placed athletes in some of the top CIS programs in the country, hosted one of the top pre-season tournaments in the country, and been stride for stride with some of the best teams in the country. All that said, it’s time to take the next step. And with that in mind, we have added to our coaching staff.

Off the court...
Acting as the team’s Mental trainer is Vic Lindal. A former high school teacher, Vic’s background includes success as a professional public speaker where he competed as a finalist at the Toastmasters World Public Speaking Championships. He coached the Canadian National Women’s Volleyball team to prominence and has been a CTV and CBC television colour commentator for Volleyball at the past four Olympic Games in Montreal, Los Angeles, Seoul and Barcelona respectively. Vic currently heads up Lindal Enterprises where as a highly successful personal coach, Vic helps his clients overcome self limiting beliefs so they can obtain quantum leap results in their personal and professional lives. As a "Coach for Greatness," Vic has clients across North America who phone him each week for motivation and direction. Coach Hudson - “Vic has been a wonderful addition. His willingness to mentor our young athletes is nothing short of admirable. There are very few who will sacrifice their time and share their knowledge. Vic has done both consistently for our boys and we are extremely fortunate!!”

Iceberg Fitness

Second is top Strength and Conditioning Coach, Chris Berglund...

• -Owner of Iceberg Fitness
• -Degree in Human Kinetics, Diploma in Coaching and Instruction
• -Level 2 NCCP in Volleyball
• -Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the NSCA
• -UBC Women's Strength Coach, 3 time defending CIS Champions (2009 - 2010: undefeated season)
• -Trained with some of the top professional teams in China and Korea and well as some of Canada's top volleyball players

Coach Hudson – “Chris has worked with our program in the past and I’m ecstatic to have him on board again. Chris is a valued friend. His successes working young athletes have been remarkable. I have complete trust and faith in his abilities and to know our athletes are in his hands is a great comfort.”

On the court...
Allen Tsang will be joining the DC Men’s Volleyball coaching staff. Allen is a former standout player with the Capilano Blues volleyball team. Following Capilano, Allen went to UBC where he focused on his studies and is now a full-time teacher in Burnaby. Since his collegiate volleyball career ended Allen has become one of the top, young coaches in the Province. He’s spent countless hours in the gym working with the APEX volleyball club, coaching high school volleyball, and as one of the top assistant coaches at Capilano. Coach Hudson – “I’m very happy to have Allen joining our staff. Allen’s passion for the game, commitment to its athletes, and enthusiasm to grow and develop as a coach are unquestionable.”

Returning to the Royals bench are two familiar faces, Ben Robinson and Tim Tsui. In regards to his assistants, “With Ben returning to his full-time studies, we’ve restructured our coaching staff. Ben has always done a great job coordinating our high school and exhibition events so his primary focus will shift from coaching to there. He’ll also manage our stats and video. As for Tim, we’re glad he’s back and grateful he’s willing to take on an increased role. Tim’s recent success as the Head Coach of the David Thompson Senior Boys team is yet another reminder of his volleyball acumen. At the last Boys High School Provincial Championship, Tim led his team to a Bronze medal which was the best a Vancouver team has done in at least the last decade. We’ll look to Tim to focus his energies on the defensive aspects of our game and will be a great resource for our athletes.”

In conclusion, the Royals bench boss had this to say, “Rarely does a college volleyball program have these kinds of resources available to it. Now our challenge is to take advantage of them ... we will work harder and smarter than we ever have before.”

Stay tuned for more Royals Men’s Volleyball news!!

Men's Volleyball host annual Senior and Junior Boys tournaments

Men's Volleyball Team
photo Jerald Walliser

In past years this tournament has drawn some of the top teams from around the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley and we're looking to expand this year. Recent history has shown these tournaments have provided great pre-season competition for both developing teams and those with their eyes on the Provincial Championship! To enter your team please contact assistant coach Ben Robinson at benrobinson13@gmail.com.

• Senior Boys’ Tournament
• Date: September 17th and 18th
• Where: Douglas College Coquitlam
• Cost: $175

• Junior Boys’ Tournament
• Date: October 1st and 2nd
• Where: Douglas College Coquitlam
• Cost: $175

BCCAA Volleyball Provincials

Jeff Taylor
photo Sean Velasco

The Men’s Volleyball team headed to Victoria to take on the University Fraser Valley at the 2010 BCCAA Provincial Championships hosted by Camosun College. After having had 2 weeks off before the championships, the question was “Would the Royals come out a little stale or well rested?”

The first game started off with the Douglas taking a commanding lead of 6 – 1. Things then got tough but the Royals finished off the set 25 – 23. They were led by 2nd team all-star setter Kaleb Dawe and hitter Jeff Taylor. UFV came back to win the next 3 games including the 4th set 26 – 24.

The Douglas season now comes to an end in the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year. “We had a great week of preparation and I felt that we were ready to take on any of the teams. We played well but came up short in our defensive game “ mentioned assistant coach Ben Robinson. “I was taking stats and could not believe the digs that UFV had. “ The Royals played without libero Sam Shaw who broke a bone in his hand in an accident at home. This was the last game for Royals players Mike Plantigna (moving up to play CIS) and Tory Weibe.

BCCAA Announces League All-Stars

Mike Plantinga & Kaleb Dawe
photo Jerald Walliser

Kaleb Dawe and Mike Plantinga have been selected as 2nd Team All-Stars as recognition for their efforts this season. Dawe, a 3rd year Business Administration student, has shown his versatility and volleyball IQ by moving to setter after perviously playing Libero and Left Side. Kaleb brings the intangibles to the court and has been the driving force behind this years Royals.

Plantinga, a second year player from Langley Christian High School, has consitently been among the BCCAA top 15 leaders in kills and aces. He is a tremedously talented athlete with a high skill level.

Andrew Robson was selected to the BCCAA All-Rookie Team for his contributions this year. He has a tremendous athletic upside with the leadership and intangible qualities that can push him to the next level.

Next up for the Royals are the BCCAA Provinical Championships where the have a first round date with the UFC Cascades. After two weeks off, the Royals are hungry to get back into competition. Watch all the Provincial action LIVE!

Royals Secure Playoff birth

Tory Wiebe
photo Jerald Walliser

With the upcoming weekend off, the Royals head into the playoffs having secured a place in a quater-final match-up against the UFV Cascades. The Cascades have had the Royals number this season posting 2 league victories in their last match up. However, with the last two weeks to prepare their game plan the Royals look poised to make a run at the championship.

Men's Volleyball hold court vs. Blues

#6 Mike Plantinga & #12 Erich Meyer
photo Jerald Walliser

This past weekend the Royals defended home court against the visiting Blues of Capilano U. With the win, the young Royals improved their home record to 4-1. ‘One of our goals at the beginning of the year was to defend home court. So far we’ve done a pretty good job accomplishing that’ concluded Coach Hudson. The Royals went five tough sets with their visitors from North Vancouver prevailing 3-2.

"It would have been really easy for the guys to lose their focus after dropping the first set (despite a big lead). It showed a great deal of character to respond to that adversity. The reality is our group has had to learn a few tough lessons along the way. This was one of them. In the past it’s been easy to play as the underdog. Now our guys are realizing they are capable of doing good things on the court, their perspectives are changing. There are new pressures that come with that realization. Learning to win is yet another skill that needs to be mastered" added the Royals Head Coach.

The Royals were led by wing player, Mike Plantinga. Plantinga had one of his finest offensive performances of the year racking up 19 kills with only 3 errors. He also added 5 stuff blocks. Rookie middle blocker, Andrew Robson also gave an inspired performance contributing 3 stuff blocks and an ace after entering the match late in the fourth set.

The Royals now prepare to host the Columbia Bible College Bearcats. The Bearcats are led by former CIS player, Steve Berkenpas and professional, Emmanuel Denguessi.

Royals get two needed wins vs. the Avalanche

Brendan Patterson
photo Jerald Walliser

The Royals Men's volleyball squad faced off this past weekend against a tough Avalanche squad from COTR. Coming into Fridays match the Royals had split their first two matches of the semester while the Avalanche had lost five straight five setters. "We knew the trip would be tough and the host team would be a handful. They'd already played a series of very tough, competitive matches and were hungry for a win. When you couple that with the 10 hour bus trip you have a recipe for a battle" remarked Coach Hudson.

Fortunately the Royals came away with a convincing three set win on Friday night. The Royals efforts were led by Brendan Patterson (7 kills, 1 ace, 3 digs) and Lee Coulthard who came off the bench to register 8 kills of his own. Another key contributor to the team's success was team captain and setter, Kaleb Dawe. "I really thought Kaleb did a great job distributing the ball. He's starting to understand the demands of setting in our league and match management" added Coach Hudson.

Saturday saw the Royals struggle to find their offensive rhythm and instead relied on their defensive game. Second year middle blocker, Erich Meyer and third year middle, Torey Wiebe played inspired volleyball making their presence felt at the net where the pair combined for 7 stuff blocks. They also chipped in with three aces. "One of the concepts we talk about is leadership by action, not by position. We've had different leaders step up for us throughout the season and this trip wasn't any different. We looked tired and flat and those two middles rose to the occasion. Full credit to them for realizing our team needed a lift" concluded Hudson.

The Royals now prepare for local rival, Capilano University. The match is scheduled to start at 7:45 at the DC New West Campus.

Old Spaghetti Factory Player of the Week

Kaleb Dawe
photo Jerald Walliser

Kaleb Dawe signals his presence outside the office with a quiet knock and an easy smile. The third year Business Administration student carries an unassuming yet capable air about him. A driving force behind this year’s edition of the Royals Men’s Volleyball team, Kaleb demonstrated his intense competitive nature as he dove through chairs and pancaked himself on the floor to dig balls this past weekend in competition.

“I love winning. I like to be competitive. If I were in a recreational league it wouldn’t be the same. I think it would be boring” says the 20 year old native of Whitehorse. “My whole family is from Whitehorse. We have a really close family, cousins and eight grandchildren. We all keep in touch. It’s really cool. Family comes first.”

This outlook has help Kaleb’s transition into a leader for the Royals as Head Coach Brad Hudson has emphasized the team and family concept. This philosophy paid dividends over the Holiday break as the team traveled to San Diego to participate in a tournament that touted several of the top CCAA ranked volleyball teams.

“Brad is all about team and family. It’s nice. We really had a great time during our road trip to San Diego over the holiday break. We really came together. We competed well against top teams in our league. We played loose without any pressure. I was a little disappointed to have to leave home (Whitehorse) during the holidays but the trip totally made up for it. We had a great time.”

Kaleb has taken the reigns of the team this year as Coach Hudson has moved the versatile athlete from Libero as a rookie, Left Side during the 08-09 season and now Setter for the remainder of the 09-10 season.

“It’s different. Sometimes it’s frustrating but once you get going, it isn’t that bad. The most difficult part is understanding the different responsibilities. With each position your role on the court changes. I like setting. I get to run the offense and control the front side of the court”

Royals start 2010 with a split

Jeff Taylor
photo Jerald Walliser

The Douglas men's volleyball team started the 2010 portion of league play with a hard earned split with the Camosun Chargers of Victoria. On friday night the boys came out flying defeating the Chargers 3-1. Leading the way on offense for the Royals was 2nd year leftside Mike Plantinga and 3rd year rightside Jeff Taylor, recording 17 and 15 kills respectively. Friday was also the Royals best defensive night of season recording a team total 29 digs and 15 stuff blocks on their way to victory.

On Saturday the Royals never managed to get the motror running , losing the match to the same 3-1 score from the night before. Defensive leaders for the match were team captain Kaleb Dawe and middle blocker Erich “moose” Meyer, recording 5 stuff blocks each.

The Royals are back on the road for their next match against the College of the Rockies Avalanche from Cranbrook.

Experienced Cascades too much for the Royals

David Klomps
photo Jerald Walliser

The weekend turned out to be a challenging one for the Douglas men’s volleyball team. The team suffered back to back 3-0 losses to drop their season record to 3-2. The Cascades boast a trio of fifth year athletes whose steady play proved too much for the erratic Royals. The Royals set a team record for errors in a three set match with 40 on Friday night.

The Royals now prepare for another tough road test in the VIU Mariners.

Royals Serve Notice to the Blues

Mike Plantinga
photo Jerald Walliser

The Royals scored a 3-2 win versus the host, Capilano Blues on Friday night. The Royals improved their record to 3-0 with their first road win of the year. The match was hard fought going to extra points twice in the second and third sets. Showing tremendous heart and determination, the Royals won both sets and clinched the match 15-11 in the fifth after being down 8-7.

‘It was nice to pick up the win while never really finding our rhythm. Good teams find a way to win and that’s what we did Friday night “ said Coach Hudson. The Blues came out Friday night and played the Royals tough forcing them to make some adjustments to their game plan. The biggest adjustment was creating more offensive opportunities for Mike (Plantinga) who came through with a career high 28 kills. Also notable was the insertion of rookie David Klomps into the line-up whose steady passing (3.06 on the night) and consistent attacking (12 kills on 19 swings) provided a boost to the team.

“In between sets we talked about respect, not only for our opponents but for our own ability as well. Our confidence may have waivered but it never faultered. There is a lot of trust in our group . When it mattered most, each guy on the floor made plays and found a way to contribute.’ said Coach Hudson.

The Royals now prepare for two more tough road tests against the BCCAA silver medalists from last season, the UFV Cascades.

A Little Home Cooking does the Royals Good!

Sam Shaw
photo Jerald Walliser

Friday night was the season opener and the Royals came out with a determined effort winning straight sets 25-14, 25-13, 25-14. The effort was led by third year middle blocker, Jeff Taylor, and second year outside hitter/setter, Mike Plantinga. Both put up solid offensive numbers with Taylor recording 9 kills on 9 swings and Plantinga 11 for 13. The squad also received valuable contributions from rookie David Klomps who recorded 7 kills and an ace in his first official BCCAA match. The offence was initiated by a stellar effort in serve reception by Co-captain, Kaleb Dawe, who passed a 3.42 on 12 attempts. Dawe added 11 digs on the night.

Saturday afternoon the Royals returned to their home court looking to back up Friday’s result with an even better effort. “We know and appreciate how hard it is to win in our league. We also know there are a lot of talented athletes competing at every school in the BCCAA and it’s going to take our best effort each and every time out” concluded Coach Hudson. The Royals went on to a resounding 3-0 victory with set scores of 25-10, 25-6, 25-14. The tilt was highlighted by the offensive efforts of second year wing player, Lee Coulthard, who recorded 11 kills, 1 stuff block, 4 aces and 2 digs. Coulthard’s attack numbers were even more impressive when considering his 79% kill percentage with an efficiency of .714. Co-captain Jeff Taylor made his presence felt yet again with 4 kills, 5 stuff blocks, and 1 ace. Setter Sam Shaw also provided a solid contribution while running the offense. Shaw finished with a balanced line of 2 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces, and 2 digs.

The Royals now prepare for a Friday night match-up with the Capilano Blues.

DC MVB + P.R.I.D.E. =????

Tory Wiebe, Kaleb Dawe, Mike Plantinga at
the Canada Summer Games

That’s the equation we’ll be working on for the 09/10 season. After a preseason filled with adversity the Royals Men’s Volleyball squad is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

Leading the way once again is returning co-captain and third year athlete, Kaleb Dawe. Kaleb is an outstanding passer/defender who brings not only on-court ability but all the intangibles a team needs to succeed. Every time our program has taken another step forward, Kaleb has been right there leading the way. Also back, and looking forward an outstanding third year, is Co-captain Jeff Taylor. I’m proud of Jeff. He’s worked very hard on the court for two years but this summer he took it to another level. His commitment to training and his health are an example to all our athletes of the sacrifices required to take your own game and our team to new heights. Fellow third year returnee, Torey Wiebe, is also looking forward to the 09/10 season. Torey did a great job for our team last year and earned recognition as a second team all-star. Having tasted some individual recognition, Torey is hungry for team success. The last holdover from my first recruiting class at Douglas is setter, Sam Shaw. Sam is one of the best athletes in our team and brings dynamic playmaking ability to the position. Sam battled through a tough knee injury last year and it really hurt his growth. Despite the setback, Sam has risen to the challenge and showed up stronger physically than ever before. As we like to say ‘adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it’.

Our second year athletes will also be heavily leaned on. Our two returning wing players, Brendan Patterson and Lee Coulthard, are terrific examples of what it means to be a Royals volleyball player. Both came in last year unheralded, trained exceptionally hard, paid their dues, and are now ready to have an impact on the league. Brendan is quietly becoming one of our team leaders. His steady, well-rounded play has given our group the consistency it’s needed throughout the preseason and proven to everyone he will be a pillar for our team. Like Brendan, Lee is an exceptional talent willing to sacrifice anything for team success. Lee is potentially a force offensively in our league and even though he missed almost 6 weeks of our preseason due to injury, he is quickly getting back on track and looking to be a difference maker. The combination of Brendan’s steady play and Lee’s fiery determination, give us an exception pairing now and in the future. Included in last year’s recruiting class is middle blocker, Erich ‘Moose” Meyer. Moose’s value to our program can’t be measured. He’s a 6’1 middle who can literally dominate a match at any moment. He’s an amazing athlete and better young man. Kids like Erich are what drive our program. He’s moved all the way from Creston to become a part of our family and contributed from the very start ... a perfect example of a young man who wanted to be a part of something more, wanted to come to Douglas and be a part of growing a program. Also returning is Mike Plantinga. Mike had a presence on the court for our team last year and I’m expecting good things from him again. He’s very skilled for his size and can do a lot of things for us. His versatility on the court is definitely his strength and it gives us a number of options. Mike invested a lot of time and energy in improving his game this summer representing BC at the National Team Challenge Cup and at the Canada Games. Few athletes can boast such an accomplishment and it bodes well for our program. Our rookie class consists of OH David Klomps, MB Andrew Robson, OH/ MB Jan Bienkowski-Gibbs, and Libero David Triemstra. Triemstra is in his first season with us but I’ve coached him for a couple of seasons already with the Fraser Valley Volleyball Club. He is a great addition. He’s a former ‘Outstanding Libero’ at the Provincial Championships and will provide terrific passing and defending for us. Bienkowski-Gibbs hails from Prince George and has also done a great job early in his Royals career. I’ve been really happy with him. His kept his head down, worked hard, and done everything we’ve asked of him. His commitment to both his own training and the team’s success has been admirable. Andrew has probably been our most pleasant surprise. I expected Andy to have an impact at some point but not quite this soon. Andy has already proven himself to be very good blocker and solid attacker. What’s probably surprised me most is Andy’s leadership. Once the game starts he’s vocal, active, and extremely competitive. With all the injuries and illness our team battled in the preseason, Andy got the chance to play a lot and took advantage making huge strides.

The last of our rookies is David Klomps from Fraser Valley Christian. David is another wing player we’ll lean on this season. David has some terrific on court skills and some even better intangibles. On the court, David is an excellent passer, defender and blocker. Like Kaleb, many of David’s contributions can’t be measured. David wants to see his team-mates succeed and will do anything within his ability to help them. David and the other youngsters are clearly the future of our program. The great thing is, the future is now.

Having seen almost all the teams in the BCCAA, I’m confident our league is as competitive as it’s ever been. And we are looking forward to the challenge. We know we’ll end up exactly where we are supposed to. We’ll work hard, train, compete, leave nothing to chance, and be better for the experience. After that, who knows???