This week’s flashback Friday features the 2005-06 AUS Championship winning men’s volleyball team.
Back Row (L-R): Kirk Furlong (Head Trainer), Andrew Marsh (Strength & Conditioning), Jeff Bohan, Adam Hotchkiss, Niklas Rademacher, Jesse Mighton, Erik Montgomery, Meaghan MacInnis (Assistant Trainer), Dan Ota (Head Coach). Front Row (L-R): Dan Casey, Chris Dunlop, Paul Richer, Jeff Weiler, Scott Townsend, Jean-Francis Best, Dan Murray. Missing: Dan Whiting, Danielle Poulos (Mental Skills), Phil Brown (Assistant Coach), Aaron Nutting (Assistant Coach).
The men’s volleyball team entered the 2005-06 season with high hopes of repeating as conference champions for the twentieth year in a row. The Tigers finish the regular season with a record of 19-1 against both AUS and Quebec opponents.
The strong core of returning players lead the Tigers into the AUS final versus the scrappy University of New Brunswick. Although the Tigers were tested, they were always able to perform at key points and they went on to win in a straight-sets victory. The win secured the Tigers 27th consecutive trip to nationals.
At the McMaster-hosted national championships, the Tigers entered as the number-five seed and faced fourth-ranked Saskatchewan in the first round. The Dalhousie squad was able to outplay their Canada West foe in every aspect of the match and swept the Huskies in straight sets. The win over the Huskies earned the Tigers a semifinal matchup against the University of Alberta, a team who boasted six national team members on their roster. The Tigers would take the first set against the Golden Bears but the depth of Alberta took over as they went on to take the next three sets. Despite the semifinal loss, the Tigers were encouraged with the prospects of a bronze medal. The Tigers faced third ranked Manitoba for the fifth time of the season. The match was a see-saw and action filled affair with both teams playing at the highest level. Either team could have taken the match, but at the end of the contest the Bison’s had prevailed and won the bronze medal.
Several Tigers were recognized for their outstanding play during the season. Jeff Weiler added numerous awards to his collection including CIS second team all-Canadian honours, an AUS all-star nod, being named to the CIS championship all-star team, a third-consecutive CIS Libero of the Year and topped it all off with the CIS Dale Iwanoczko Award that recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, and community service. Niklas Rademacher was named AUS MVP and a second consecutive first team all-Canadian selection as well as a CIS tournament all-star. Along with Rademacher and Weiler, Scott Townsend, Jesse Mighton, Dan Murray and Dan Casey were all selected as AUS all-stars.