Watch above: The top eight CIS men’s volleyball teams will compete for the national title in Saskatoon. Jack Haskins looks at the first-round matchup between the Saskatchewan Huskies and the McMaster Marauders.
SASKATOON – After narrowly missing out on the Canada West playoffs, the Saskatchewan Huskies are eager to kick off the CIS men’s volleyball championship. The ‘dogs haven’t played a game in over two weeks after being eliminated from the post-season by the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack on Feb. 7.
The good news for Saskatchewan Huskies fans is that the dogs are fresh and healthy heading into the tournament. However, the Huskies will face a colossal test in their first game as they are slated to play the top-ranked team in the country, the McMaster Marauders.
“They’re a very well balanced team,” said Huskies head coach Brian Gavlas. “They have some monsters out at the left side, and they have lots of experience, and obviously they’ve done a lot of winning in their conference.”
The McMaster Marauders lost their first match of the season, but went on to win every single game ever since on their way to capturing the OUA championship title.
“That first game was really an eye opener,” said Marauders middle hitter and OUA MVP Danny Demyanenko. “After that, it has been a lot of work, but we’ve definitely been priming ourselves for this tournament and we’re very excited to be here.”
Not only are the Marauders happy to be in Saskatoon, competing for their first national title, but they’re also looking forward to playing the Huskies in the first round. Not because Saskatchewan is the lowest seed, but because the Marauders welcome the challenge of walking into enemy territory, playing a fired up Huskies squad, with a gym full of Saskatchewan supporters.
“It just becomes a great environment for our student athletes to play in,” said Marauders head coach and CIS coach of the year Dave Preston. “Our guys have had big moments in the past, we’ve had a number of guys who have played in world championships, there’s been other big moments that they’ve had to handle and that experience isn’t going to be foreign to them.”
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The Huskies have embraced the role of underdogs. Gavlas knows that a lot of people will expect his team to lose on Thursday against the Marauders, but he is okay with that.
“We’re ranked eighth, they’re ranked number one, they’re supposed to win aren’t they?” Gavlas says with a wry smile. “We’re embracing that (underdog) role for sure.”
Preston holds the Huskies in high regard, stating that the team is “well coached” and “very, very talented.” It is clear that the CIS coach of the year isn’t looking past the eighth-seeded Huskies.
“Any team in this tournament can win it, and everybody knows that.”
The CIS men’s volleyball championship kicks off at 1 p.m. Thursday, with the Huskies scheduled to square off against the McMaster Marauders at 8 p.m. at the PAC. The winner advances to the CIS semi-final.
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