Richard Catangay-LiewThe Bears went into the gym at McMaster University as two time defending champions with something to prove.
After falling in the Canada West Final Four semis to the underdog Trinity Western University Spartans, the Bears rolled to a straight-sets victory over the Manitoba Bisons in the bronze medal game to punch their tickets to the CIS Tournament.
Arriving in Hamilton, Ontario, the Bears were seeded sixth out of eight teams in the finals, and matched up against RSEQ champions Laval in the quarterfinal match. With an impenetrable block and a very efficient .403 team kill percentage, Alberta steamrolled the Quebec champs in a 3-0 win.
In the semifinal came the chance for the Golden Bears to avenge their loss against the Spartans. Though the Bears won both matches against the team from Langley, B.C. in the regular season, they were pummeled in the Canada West semifinal, losing in straight sets.
The Bears started strong, trampling Trinity 25-18 in the first set. Injuries played a role in the match, however, as All-CIS second team middle Taylor Arnett left the game in the first set with an ankle problem and would not return. For his part, CIS first-teamer Ryley Barnes was playing through considerable pain.
“(Barnes) was so hurt, he could hardly walk and couldn’t hear,” Bears Associate Coach Brock Davidiuk said.
Adding that Barnes picked up a nasty ear infection and had significant injuries in both knees, Davidiuk commended Barnes for “putting himself through hell to play.” Despite Arnett’s early exit, third-year Arran Chambers made a significant contribution coming off the bench. With five kills on five attempts as well as two aces from the baseline, the 6’8” Chambers did well in Arnett’s spot in the lineup.
Despite this, the Bears lost the next two sets, and had to grind out a win in the fourth to push the match to a fifth and deciding set. A Bears victory was not in the cards, however, as the Spartans took the final frame 15-11, and relegated the Bears to the bronze medal match.
Davidiuk said his team wasn’t effective at shutting down tournament MVP Blake Scheerhoorn, crediting a tough serving performance and strong Spartans block for nullifying the Bears’ potent offence. Walsh echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“They served the ball really tough, which they didn’t do against us in season,” Walsh said. “That put us out of system a lot, which let their block form.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss in the semis, Walsh said his team was determined to go out on a win in the bronze medal match against the Saskatchewan Huskies.
“It’s a tough match to lose, and it would be easy to roll over and look past (Saskatchewan),” Walsh said. “But for us, it was a matter of pride and character. We came out ready to compete regardless.”
Compete they did, as the Bears stormed out to a 10-1 lead in the first set against the Huskies. Calling that part of the game “flawless,” Davidiuk said that after that point, Saskatchewan began chipping away at the Bears’ lead. Despite an attempted Huskies comeback, a calm Bears squad out-hit, out-dug, and out-pointed their opponents en route to a straight-sets victory and a bronze medal.
Having participated in the CIS Finals as a player, assistant coach, and now associate coach, Davidiuk said he wanted to ensure the players didn’t dwell on the loss.
“I’ve lost at Nationals before,” Davidiuk said. “I don’t want the players to be as hard on themselves as I was on myself in that situation. They need to go forward as people and athletes.”
Moving forward is the plan for Bears Volleyball, as Davidiuk said it will take only a few weeks before the team is back in the weight room and building themselves up for next season. In terms of goals, Davidiuk said one thing stands out in the minds of all the players and staff.
“I think we want to be contenders for a national title again,” Davidiuk said. “Our goal is to be successful, and a lot of the time with this program, that means going for a banner.”
