Golden Bears Volleyball head South for a New Years clash

The University of Alberta Golden Bears men’s volleyball team will start the new year the hard way.

From December 30 through January 6, the Bears head to California to take part in the annual North American Challenge at Long Beach State University, a preseason trip that has become one of the most important stops on Alberta’s calendar. The matches, played inside the Walter Pyramid, pit the Bears against elite National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) programs and offer a perspective you simply cannot find in Canada.

This trip is not about fireworks and cake, it is a chance to grow as a team.

Like they say: Iron sharpens iron.

The North American Challenge is designed to be uncomfortable. The pace is faster, and the margin for error is smaller. Long Beach State, the host, is a perennial NCAA power and one of the most respected programs in North America. Other invited teams bring the same level of physicality and speed, forcing visiting sides to adjust quickly or get exposed.

That elite competition is exactly why Alberta keeps coming back.

The Bears have been part of this event for years, and each trip has served as a reset point before the final stretch of the Canada West season. The results rarely tell the full story; it is the lessons learned that are valuable to the attendees. Systems that work at home get challenged under real pressure, lazy play will be exposed, and it demands the type of focus needed for a playoff run.

For a team with championship ambitions, that kind of stress is valuable.

Canada West is unforgiving: their teams populate four of the top five ranked teams in the country. The difference between a top seed and an early playoff exit can come down to a handful of points across an entire season. Alberta knows that if it wants to be playing its best volleyball in February, it needs to be pushed in December and early January.

Tournament brings much needed challenges

This trip also brings something harder to quantify. A week on the road builds trust. Long days of practice, film sessions at night, and close matches tend to speed up the process of carving out roles in the dressing room and on the court. By the time the Bears fly home, rotations feel clearer and standards feel sharper.

There is also something special about the setting. Playing inside the Walter Pyramid is a rare experience for Canadian athletes. It is a historic volleyball venue, and playing in that space carries weight. For some players, it will be their first taste of NCAA-level volleyball in person. For others, it is a reminder of just how serious this sport can get.

Recent tournaments have shown how tough the competition is. Earlier this year, American programs ran through the challenge, sweeping five Canadian programs in a single day. That result proved to the Bears that nothing comes easy at this event.

Once Alberta returns to Edmonton in early January, there will be no grace period. Canada West play ramps up almost immediately, and the standings rarely wait for teams to catch their breath. What the Bears learn in California will show up quickly, for better or worse.

The North American Challenge is not a vacation, it is a test. A chance to see where you stand when the game speeds up and the stakes are raised.

For the Bears, there is no better way to start the new year.