Kamloops — The 2013-14 Canada West season was one of celebration for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s volleyball team.
Pat Hennelly saw the core group of his team come of age during the season. It was something the coach noted in his season review. “We were above expectations in terms of pre- season rankings. We set a goal to make it to Nationals and fell one match short this year. In past years, third place in the Canada West would have earned a trip to Nationals. I am proud of the work the guys did this year and happy it showed on the court.”
The WolfPack were ranked fourth in the CIS during one stretch of the season. Their 13 wins was also a franchise best.
Thompson Rivers was led by third year outsider hitter Brad Gunter of Courtenay. Gunter was named the Canada West and later CIS Player of the Year despite missing the last two weeks of the regular season with an injury. The 6′,8″ science student was also a CIS first team all-star.
Gunter led the CIS in kills (5.31) and points (6.04) per set as well as total points (404.5), while placing second in total kills (356). His kill-per-set average is a new single-season Canada West mark, while his point-per-game average ranks second all-time in the conference. The G.P. Vanier grad was also fifth in the CIS in both total attacks (742) and service aces (27).
“Brad had an outstanding season and improved on every skill,” Hennelly states. “The time spent with the junior national team and in the weight room has certainly paid off. He was one of the best in the country and is one of the best players ever to wear a WolfPack uniform.”
Gunter’s CIS Player of the Year honour was a first for the school. He wasn’t the only member of the ‘Pack to have a season which gained national notoriety. Colin Carson (5th year, setter, Prince George, B.C.) was named a second team Canada West All-star. He also won the Dale Iwanozko Student-Athlete Award.
The 6-foot-3 senior led the country in both assists per set (10.93) and total assists (929) in league play, the latter being a new single-season Canada West record. With 3,350 assists over five years, he finished second on the conference career list.
Off the court, Carson, who is set to graduate in April, coordinated the team’s community events, including Raise a Reader – the WolfPack team was the top money generator for Children’s literacy programs in Kamloops for a third straight year – and Wendy’s Dreamlift. He is on the WolfPack’s Captain’s Council, will act as MC and coordinator of the TRU athletic awards banquet for the second straight year, and also visited elementary schools for Terry Fox Runs.
Carson took the ‘adopt a school’ program to a new level by visiting Pacific Way Elementary at least once a week. He also helped with the PACE program, which is designed to help student-athletes cope with school and sports. In the summer, he returned to his hometown of Prince George to help with volleyball clinics.
“Colin has been our best leader and captain and has led our program back into the national spotlight,” Hennelly explains. “I am glad the other coaches in the country agreed and voted him the DI student athlete of the year.”
Two other players also came into their own this season – fourth years Casey Knight (Salt Spring Island, B.C.) and Stuart Richey (Gibsons, B.C.). “Both earned starting spots and were major factors in our improvement as a team,” Hennelly said.
Knight was eighth in the Canada West in service aces (0.30). He started in 24 of 27 matches with 29 service aces and 2.86 kills per set. Richey started in 22 matches, had 17 service aces and 1.62 kills per set.
When he looks back a season where they swept Brandon, Mount Royal, UBCO, and Saskatchewan as the breakout being week three of the campaign where they split in Alberta (it was the WolfPack’s first-ever win over the Golden Bears in regular play), Hennelly says the team had a lot of consistent results until Gunter’s injury.
The WolfPack lose at least three players: Carson, Jacob Tricarico (middle, Huntington Beach, CA) and Spencer Reed (libero, Prince George, B.C.) have played out their eligibility. Hennelly has reserve players ready to vie for their spots.
“We will look to Graham Stoliker (3rd year, setter, Surrey, B.C.) and Jordan Foot (1st year, middle, Prince George, B.C.) to help replace Colin and Jake,” he says. “We will have two senior liberos (Matt Krueger, Abbotsford, B.C. and Blake Majcher, Brandon, MB) to help with the loss of spencer Reed and will work as a team to keep up with team academics.
“Hardy (Wooldridge, 4th year, outside, Mission Viejo,CA) graduates this year and I expect a great season from all the fifth year guys next year (Richey, Knight, Krueger and Majcher). We have the talent and experience and I hope we can elevate our program even further.”
With Carson leaving and Gunter moving into his fourth year, Hennelly looks at a couple of players who have bright futures. “Randy Grundmann (1st year, outside hitter, Winnipeg, MB) and Foot will be impact players in this league in the future. Tyler Pomietlarz (setter, Kelowna, B.C.) was a red shirt this year and has shown improvement. All three will be trying out for the provincial and junior national teams this summer.”
Hennelly has already signed two players coming out of high school: Isaac Smit of Okanagan Mission Secondary and Cole Hanson of Mount Boucherie Secondary (both of Kelowna, B.C.). They will be making announcements on more recruit signings in the coming weeks.
– Thompson Rivers University WolfPack
