It was four years ago. Bryan Duquette was in his first-year with the Tigers men's volleyball team, and he was thrust into the starting libero role in the second game of the 2011 AUS championship against UNB. The Tigers had lost the first game of the championship on the road, and they faced a must-win situation. Unfortunately for Duquette and the rest of the Tigers squad, the Varsity Reds pulled out a 3-2 victory and the Tigers failed to win the AUS championship for the first time in 25 years.
“It's something that's tough to forget,” says Duquette. “It was a disappointing moment at the time as a first-year athlete, I can't imagine the feeling of our graduating players on the team.”
Fast forward to this year, and Duquette has been at the forefront of a Tigers team that is ranked fifth in the country after posting an impressive 16-1 record. He was named the AUS MVP after leading the league with 3.38 kills per set, and he was just one dig away from leading the league in digs as well. He was also named an AUS all-star for the second time in his career.
The St. Thomas, Ontario native started playing volleyball at a very young age. His older brother Kevin, who was on their elementary school team, loved the game and wanted to teach it to Bryan, who was in grade three at the time.
“My brother and the experience he gave me is by far the most influential reason why I started playing volleyball,” explains Duquette. “It gave me the opportunity to improve and learn the fundamentals at an early age.”
Volleyball became a huge part of Bryan's life, and he even won a national championship with his U17 club team. He also got to see the Tigers play at the 2006 CIS championship hosted by McMaster. According to Duquette, it was actually the performance of one player who made him want to head to the east coast.
“I remember watching (two-time AUS MVP and five-time AUS libero of the year) Jeff Weiler play and wanting to do exactly what he was doing,” says Duquette. “Once it came time to start thinking about where I wanted to go to school and where I wanted to play, Dal was always what I really wanted to do.”
And if he wasn't already completely sure, a recruitment trip to Dalhousie campus really sealed the deal.
“Once I came down on my recruitment trip and spent the weekend with the team on and off the court, it was a no brainer, really,” explains Duquette. “An opportunity to play with a top team in the CIS, coached by one of the best technical coaches in the country, receive a degree in kinesiology from a well-respected university, and to live in Halifax was a perfect combination.”
It's proven to be a pretty good decision.
With a 16-1 record, this has been arguably the best Tigers team that Duquette has been a part of. With a veteran core of players that include fellow AUS all-stars Kristen O'Brien and Jonathan Macdonald, Duquette says every player on the roster is crucial to their success as a team.
“Everyone is a little older and more mature as individuals and we're more comfortable playing alongside one another on the court whether a match is going well or not,” says Duquette. “That's the reason why the team this year is so difficult to beat, and why every guy is an all-star in my mind. Every guy on the floor is a threat at any time. Our passing has been very consistent which allows our setter Jonny (Macdonald) to run our offence, and it’s been a dangerous and very successful combination.”
The Tigers are currently one win away from winning their second consecutive AUS championship as they head to Fredericton to take on the UNB Varsity Reds after winning the first game of the championship last week at home. If successful, they'll head to the CIS championship at the University of Saskatchewan on February 26-28.
As for Duquette, after his time is done with the Tigers he hopes to play at the National Full Time Training Centre in Gatineau, Quebec. The FTC serves as a stepping stones for athletes who are trying to compete professionally overseas. After which, his goal is to land a spot on a professional team in Europe. And once volleyball is all over, he plans on attending Chiropractic College in New Zealand as he pursues a career in Chiropractic care.