by Duncan Forbes
Expectations were higher than ever for the Tigers men’s volleyball team this season. The team featured a veteran-laden core that had won two of the last three AUS championships and they were ranked 10th in the country to start.
After two victories over Queen’s in exhibition play, the Tigers kicked things off with a 3-0 record at the first AUS-RSEQ Interlock at Memorial, dropping just one set the entire time as they defeated Laval, Sherbrooke and Montreal. They continued their strong play, going 4-0 with a pair of wins against both UNB and Memorial. After a win against Sherbrooke to start the second interlock event in Montreal, the Tigers were on a nine-game winning streak so far in the season.
It finally came to an end when they lost a tough five-set game to Laval, but they regrouped later in the day against Montreal and they went into the holiday break with a 10-1 record.
The team headed to St. Petersburg, Florida to compete in the 2015 Alden Cup, which featured eight of the best teams in the CIS. After dropping their first game 3-1 to Brandon, the Tigers rattled off three straight wins against Calgary, Mount Royal and Manitoba to finish the tournament with a 3-1 record.
“We gained a lot of respect from other programs across the country with our results,” says Ota. “And more importantly, our team gained a better understanding of how good we were as well.”
The Tigers wasted no time in the second half of the season, as they went unbeaten in seven matches, dropping just four sets over the seven-game span. They ended with a regular season 16-1 record, and finished the season ranked fifth in the CIS.
The Tigers needed just two games to dispatch the UNB Varsity Reds in the AUS championship series, taking the first game 3-0 at home before winning the championship 3-1 on the road. Kristen O’Brien was named the championship MVP.
Bryan Duquette was named the AUS MVP, while Adam Sandeson was named the libero of the year and Dan Ota the coach of the year for the 13th time in his career. Duquette, along with Kristen O’Brien and Jonathan Macdonald, were all named to the AUS all-star team.
The Tigers then headed to Saskatoon to compete in the CIS championship where Duquette was named a CIS first team All-Canadian, while Macdonald was named to the second team. Going in as the number two seed, the Tigers took the first two sets against York in the quarter-final, but the Lions came storming back and forced a fifth set, but the Tigers managed to hold on for the win.
The Tigers championship aspirations were dashed the next day when they faced the eventual champion Alberta Golden Bears. The Tigers fell 3-0, pitting them against the OUA champions McMaster Marauders in the bronze medal game. Despite their best efforts, the Tigers couldn’t keep up with the Marauders and would have to settle for fourth, their best CIS showing since 2008.
Coach Ota was very proud of his squad, who went 24-4 overall this season and says he’ll miss coaching this group of athletes.
“It’s always with mixed emotions that I watch players in their final matches of their Dal careers,” says Ota. “I suspect that it’s the same for them playing in their final matches. They have shown a lot of growth on the volleyball court, but I’ve seen a lot more growth off the court and I hope that’s what they will take away from their Dalhousie experience.”