Trinity Western Spartans’ Ryan Sclater is ending his university career in style.
The fifth-year star was named the Canada West Player of the Year this week (March 7) after delivering one of the most dominating attacking seasons in both Spartans and Canada West history.
Sclater averaged 4.29 kills per set and finished with 369 total kills, the ninth-most in conference history while also setting TWU’s all-time record for that stat.
“Ryan’s year was special,” said Spartans coach Ben Josephson. “We’ve had some great outside players come through here and the year he put together is statistically the best outside season we’ve ever seen. We’ve had him play left and right for the majority of the season and he’s been equally efficient at both.
“He’s a pretty special player. Not a lot of athletes I’ve had can play both sides and play that many different roles at a high level every single weekend. He has been incredible all season long and is very deserving of this award.”
This was one of two conference awards won by the program as Eric Loeppky is the conference’s rookie of the year.
Loeppky led all Canada West servers in aces per set, with 0.55 and finished second on the Spartans – trailing only Sclater – with an average of 3.03 kills per set.
“Eric’s year was surprising and unsurprising at the same time,” Josephson said. “It’s surprising in that rookies don’t usually play that polished. Most rookies have holes in their games and he doesn’t really have a lot of holes.
“He’s maybe our best receiver, he’s a great server, he’s a solid defender and he’s an incredible attacker. The crazy part is the sky is the limit.
:The part that’s not surprising is he’s been one of the best players in his age group his entire life. Anyone who has followed the game has seen him coming through the system knowing that he’s always been great and now he’s continued to be great.
“The best part is he’s just the best kid. He’s as good of a player as you’ll find as a rookie and he’s also the nicest and kindest person and a great teammate.”
Sclater was also named a Canada West first team all-star while Adam Schriemer was named to the second team. And Loeppky was selected to the conference’s all-rookie team.
Scott Stewart TWU Athletics
Ryan Sclater (left to right), Adam Schriemer and Eric Loeppky were honoured by the Canada West this week. Sclater was named a first team all-star while Schriemer was a second team selection and Loeppky was named to the all-rookie team.
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The Spartans, the defending U Sports national champions, will get the chance to defend their 2016 crown.
The team beat Winnipeg by identical 3-0 scores on March 2 and 3 at the Langley Events Centre in the Canada West quarter-finals.
TWU, ranked No. 1 in the country, advances to the Canada West Final Four championships this weekend in Winnipeg. The Spartans face the Alberta Pandas in the semifinals and regardless of what happens this weekend, all four teams have qualified for the U Sports national championships later this month Nationals will be held in Edmonton from March 17 to 19.
