On Jan. 5 and 6, the St. Thomas University men’s volleyball team made the journey to Peterborough, Ont., to face off against the Trent University men’s volleyball team.
The Excalibur play in the U SPORTS Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference. Considered by many as a “higher” level than the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA). The Tommies challenged that narrative in their two exhibition games.
Third-year middle Kevin Douglas said the exhibition was a good chance to get the team back into shape and face some stiff competition before returning to regular season play.
“I feel like we showed that we can go toe-to-toe with any team on any given day,” he said.
The first game saw Trent coming out on top with a 3-1 win, while the Tommies pushed the Excalibur to a close 5-setter in the second game of the weekend. The Excalibur ultimately edged out STU with a tight 19-17 win in the final set.
“I feel like the second game we had a better idea of how they played and were able to exploit their weaknesses,” said Douglas. “We were also able to shake off some rust.”
Off court, the 12-hour bus ride provided the opportunity for players to bond, with head coach Henri Mallet even setting up a TV for the team to play video games such as Halo and Rock Band.
Because of the quick turnaround after the new year and delayed flights, it was the first time on court for some of the guys on the team.
“Many of us hadn’t been able to practice since coming back to Fredericton,” said Douglas. “Overall I think we did great, though.”
The games provided the opportunity for many players to hit the court and get back into it after almost a month of no play. Brenton Romanchuk led the pack with 20 kills on the weekend, with Douglas not far behind with 13.
First year Oscar Luk boasted 22 digs in what he described as one of his best games of the year. He said the team was looking to keep their regular game plan, running their same plays and get their minds and bodies back into game play.
“We wanted to keep everything the same,” he said. “Just getting back into it.”
His strong performance over the weekend was a great boost of confidence, said Luk.
“It was the first time for me to show my true colours,” said the first-year libero. “It’s good to have a game like that to have a bit more confidence in myself.
Luk hopes to use that confidence in the Tommies’ nine regular season games of the second half, which culminates on Feb. 19, with a home game against the Université de Sainte-Anne Dragons.
For the second half, Douglas said the team focus is to step out as clear frontrunners for the ACAA title and that everyone is working hard on and off the court to make it happen.
“The boys are ready to go this semester and are excited to go to B.C this March.”
