Brandon Bobcats at the Canada West Final Four championship. (Brandon University / brandonu.ca)
After competing through reading week, the Brandon University’s Men’s Volleyball Team has earned a much-deserved spot at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championship in Quebec City from March 1st to 3rd.
While in Edmonton for the Canada West Final Four championship, the eighth-ranked Bobcats pulled off a 3-1 victory (24-26, 25-23, 25-23, 27-25) versus the top-ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears against all odds. Trouncing the third-ranked Trinity Western Spartans 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 25-15), the Bobcats brought home their first ever Canada West league title. The ‘Cats have received silver and bronze medals at nationals in 2011 and 2009, respectively, but this is the first banner for them since the establishment of the program nearly a decade ago, and the first conference title for BU since 2001-2002, when the men’s basketball team won the Canada West championship.
Even though the banner puts the Bobcats at the highest ranking or seeding yet, head coach Grant Wilson is unfazed.
“We’re happy that we were the team to come out on top this past weekend,” said Wilson, “but it wouldn’t take much to reverse the tables by any of those teams that were there. We know we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. From our stand point we’re pleased to get the results we did this weekend and now we’re just going to try to build on that.”
Also at the conference, BU’s left-side Sam Tuivai was dubbed a Canada West first-team all-star. Tuivai proved to be one of the best athletes at the tournament and in the country by racking up an impressive 22 kills on 44 swings, 9 digs, 4 aces and 4 blocks.
Advancing to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championship along with Trinity Western and Alberta, the Brandon Bobcats will play a total of three games with the chance of seizing the national title. They will also be accompanied by the McMaster Marauders, the New Brunswick Varsity Reds, the Western Mustangs, the Montreal Carabins, and tournament hosts the Laval Rouge et Or.
The Bobcats’ first game is scheduled for Friday, March 1st at 6:00 pm Eastern against the eighth-ranked Montreal Carabins.