For the second straight year, Thompson Rivers University will not be involvedin the Canada West men’s volleyball playoffs.  The WolfPack were officially eliminated from the 2012-13 playoff hunt when they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Mount Royal Cougars Saturday (Feb 2) night at the Tournament Capital Centre.

The scores were 25-21, 25-17,23-25,25-16. 

That decision, coupled with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen sweeping the UBCO Heat sealed the fate for the WolfPack, who lost their last five matches to start 2013.  They are winless in their last four matches and sit at 6-13.  The Cougars are 8-11 on the season and are still in playoff contention in their first year of Canada West.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly talks to the troops in this one (Allen Douglas photo)

“We started the first two sets with little life,” said TRU head coach Pat Hennelly. “They got off to big leads and we continued our quiet play.  It is disappointing.  I wondered what happened in the first two sets. Its  as quiet as we have been at home.  This has been a very up and down second half of the year.”

Jacob Tricarico with kill shot vs Mount Royal (Allen Douglas photo)

“It is always great to get a victory,” stated Cougars coach Shawn Sky, now into his ninth year with the program. “ Everything has been a new experience this year.  We are pleased with how the guys played.”

Sky thought the difference was the quality of servces his team delivered.  “We do know that they use a fair number of left sides. We thought we could gain a little bit of an advantage there. I think we did to a degree.  I thought we did a good job staying within our system.”

In this match, the Cougars had three players in double digit kills.  Colton deMan  (4^th year, left side, Calgary, AB)was 18 for 45.  Dan Durham (4^th year, left side, St. Albert, AB)was 13 for 35 and Lucas Stepanko(3^rd year, left side, Grande Prairie, AB) had 10 kills in 25 swings.

Stepanko gained praise from Sky: “ I thought he had a great match. One thing that Thompson Rivers did that we didn’t  expect was the speed of the left side set. I thought our right side did a great job adjusting to that. It  was obvious they were running a 31 overload.  It was pretty effective early in the match but between the aggression we had serving and the adjustments that he, in particular made, It gave us a couple of good runs.”

Marcus Ernewein (1^st year, setter, Spruce Grove, AB) had 42 assists.  Durham led the Cougars with 10 digs.

Brad Gunter vs Alberta (Andrew Snucins photo)

Thompson Rivers was led by Brad Gunter (2^nd year, outside hitter, Courtenay, BC) with 11 kills in 35 opportunities. He also had a team high nine digs.

Colin Carson sets in a game vs Calgary (Andrew Snucins photo)

Colin Carson (4^th year, setter, Prince George, BC) had 24 assists.

Graham Stoliker vs UBCO earlier this year (Andrew Snucins photo)

Graham Stoliker (2^nd year, setter, Surrey, BC) contibuted 12 assists in two sets.

Casey Knight vs UBC earlier this year (Andrew Snucins photo)

Casey Knight (3^rd year, outside hitter, Salt Spring Island, BC)  was named the TRU Bookstore/McDonalds “Leader of the Pack” player of the match. He came in for two sets and had seven kills in 16 opprtunties with two digs and a block assist. 

Stuart Richey with the kill tonight vs Mount Royal (Allen Douglas photo)

“It was nice to see Casey and Stu (Richey, 3^rd year, outside hitter, Gibsons, BC)come in and add some life,” Hennelly assessed. “ Graham had a nice set. That was all positive stuff.”

The coaching staff of the WolfPack women’s basketball team were on hand supporting the volleyball teams (Allen Douglas photo)

Hennelly added that the ‘quiet’  and ‘inconsistant’ play of the WolfPack has been their trademark since the new calender year began. “ Very similar. Ourguys look around for someone to make the next play. It is something we have to work through. I told the guys that experience only counts if you make an adjustment. There is no point in experiencing playing these tough matches when we are not adjusting to it.  That what was nice about the third set tonight. It was the appropriate response after being down 2-0.  We had a little energy and life. We know we can play some good volleyball. We showed it in the pre season and in exhibition. We showed it against UBC as an example. We played great volleyball that weekend (a split with UBC).  It is there.  We aren’t losing because we don’t have talent or we are not good. It is very frustrating to play like that when I know the talent we possess.”

Matt Kruger gets ready for dig vs Mount Royal (Allen Douglas photo)

The WolfPack  and Cougars meet again on “Super Bowl Sunday” (Feb 3) at 3:45 pm at the Tournament Capital Centre.

Dig by Jesse Bazergui vs Mount Royal (Allen Douglas photo)

Thompson Rivers finish the regular season at home next weekend (Feb 8-9) entertaining the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.  Mount Royal will wind up the season on the road in Vancouver, BC against the UBC Thunderb irds.

Nick Balazs of the WolfPack men’s volleyball team was just one of a number of athletes to receive a bursary or scholarship through the WolfPack Sports Task force. They were recognized during the TRU volleyball matches against Mount Royal on February 2nd and 3 rd. Balazs received the IRL Lease Award from Alanna Wiens.

Morgan Kolasa of the WolfPack women’s volleyball squad won the other IRL Lease Award from Alanna Wiens. Both players got a thousand dollars.

Troy Grant and Jen Ju of the men’s and women’s basketball teams receive a Blazers Educational Society award presented by Graham Wallace.

Graham Wallace of the Blazers Educational Society present Brianne Rauch of women’s volleyball with an award.

Frank Fisico of baseball also received a Blazers Educational Society Award.

Sunday February 3rd was “super” for more than just NFL players. It was also a ‘super’ day for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s volleyball team. Just 24 hours after being officially eliminated from the Canada West playoff hunt, the WolfPack rebounded with a spirited effort as they swept the visiting Mount Royal University Cougars 3-0 at the Tournament Capital Centre. The scores were 25-22, 26-24,25-23.

The WolfPack snapped a four game losing streak and moved to 7-13 while the Cougars suffered a major setback in any hopes for a post season berth in their first campaign in Canada West falling to 8-12.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly vs Mount Royal (Andrew Snucins photo)

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly said they raised their emotion and their level of play while Mount Royal seemed to falter. “Last night they seemed to control the ball and make the plays they had to. Tonight they did not. Now that we were eliminated from the playoffs, that relieved the pressure. This was one of the most important matches of the year for us as a young team. At this point of the season, you are playing for pride and having a strong effort is important. It’s very important for us this year and even more so next year. “

Brad Gunter blocks Mount Royal (Andrew Snucins photo)

Thompson Rivers was led by Brad Gunter (2nd year, outside hitter, Courtenay, BC). He had 11 kills in 32 swings with two service aces and 16 digs along with one solo block and three block assists.

Phillip Ozari vs Mount Royal (Andrew Snucins photo)

Philip Ozari (1st year, outside hitter, Birkerod, Denmark) had eight kills in 22 opportunities with a service ace.

Stuart Richey was the TRU Bookstore/McDonalds “Leader of the Pack” (Andrew Snucins)

[Stuart Richey (3rd year, outside hitter, Gibsons, BC) was named the TRU Bookstore/McDonalds “Leader of the Pack” player of the match. He had four kills in 16 chances with six digs. “ Stuart did a great job in his role of passing and playing some d,” Hennelly explained.

caption id="" align="alignnone" width="333"] Colin Carson (Andrew Snucins photo)[/caption]

Colin Carson (4th year, setter, Prince George, BC) had 40 assists along with two service aces and 13 digs.

Matt Krueger (Allen Douglas photo)

Matt Krueger (3rd year, libero, Abbotsford, BC) chipped in with 10 digs. As a team, TRU had 53 digs on the night compared to 39 for Mount Royal.

“I’m very disappointed,” said Cougars coach Shawn Sky. “ In all fairness, Thompson Rivers played fantastic. They rose to the occasion, they played fantastic defence. I think we showed an awful lot of immaturity. We aren’t happy with our record. Our expectations are to be a playoff team. That is no longer an opportunity. We are tired of answering that ‘first year’ question.

Frankly, we have a losing record right now and I am not sure what standards other people have. I know what our players and our program are capable of and we are not off to that standard.”
The Cougars had 18 kills in 41 chances out of Colton deMan (4th year, left side, Calgary, AB). Marcus Ernewein (1st year, setter, Spruce Grove, AB) had 25 assists.

Stuart Richey digs vs Mount Royal (Andrew Snucins photo)

The WolfPack close out the regular season next weekend (Feb 8-9) at home against the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. Mount Royal visits the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver.

SIDE OUTS: Hennelly on the pressure to make the playoffs with a strong second half: “ We never said do or die, we said do or make our life harder. Last night was do or die. It is what it is. Are we a team that was ready for the playoffs? I don’t think so. I am hoping this evolution…..I said to the guys that if it doesn’t hurt your pride after last night it should. This is our program. People are going to remember this (missing the Canada West playoffs for a second year). You leave a legacy every time you step on the court. I hope last night is the worst this crew ever plays. I hope we can use some of that for next year when we should legitimately be in a playoff run and maybe be more mentally prepared for it.

The volleyball season will come to a close for Thompson Rivers University this weekend (Feb 8-9). The WolfPack will play host to the University of Winnipeg Wesmen at the Tournament Capital Centre on Friday and Saturday.

For the WolfPack men, they will be facing a Winnipeg squad who are still battling for playoff positioning.  Thompson Rivers goes into the weekend with a 7-13 record.  The Wesmen are 10-10 and in seventh spot in league standings.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Allen Douglas photo)

“We are looking to finish strong, “said WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly. “ We would like to add a couple of more wins this year. We set a goal to be in the playoffs and we fell short. That has everyone disappointed.  We want to finish strong and establish a level of competition for this year.”

Despite missing the playoffs, the WolfPack achieved more victories than they did the previous season (they had 3 in 2011-12).

Hennelly says the Wesmen have a young, exciting team.  “They have played consistent and are a young competitive squad. They have a junior national team setter in Josh McKay (son of Wesmen coach Larry). And Thomas Douglas Powell (3rd year, outside hitter, Brisbane AUS) has put up some good offense.”

 “The Wesmen are well coached and always work hard on defense,” Hennelly states about this weekend’s opponents.  “It is a good test since we both return the majority of our line ups next year.  Winnipeg missed the playoffs the last couple of years and has developed this group into a playoff contender.”

Mohamed Rehim (George Wycherley photo)

Stats wise:  Mohamed Rehim (2^nd year, middle, Cairo, Egypt) of the WolfPack is third in the Canada West in hitting percentage (.383) and ninth in service aces (0.28 per game).

Brad Gunter (Andrew Snucins photo)

Brad Gunter (2^nd year, outside hitter, Courtenay, BC) is tenth in the Canada West in kills (3.39 per game) and in points (3.90).

Nic Balazs and Philip Ozari block UBC (Allen Douglas photo)

Nic Balazs (2^nd year, middle, Prince George, BC) is seventh in the league in hitting per cent (.341).

Philip Ozari serves (Allen Douglas photo)

Phil Ozari (1^st year, outside hitter, Birkerod, Denmark) is fourth in service aces (0.32 per game) and Colin Carson of the WolfPack is eighth in assists (8.7 per game).

Match times this weekend are 7:45 pm on Friday and 6:45 pm on Saturday.

Could someone start the Canada West men’s volleyball regular season again, starting last Sunday?  If someone had the magic button for that—Thompson Rivers University WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly would like to talk to you.

The WolfPack rattled off their second straight 3-0 victory in Canada West play on Friday night (Feb 8). Thompson Rivers made short work of the visiting University of Winnipeg Wesmen.  The scores were 25-17,26-24,26-24.

Thompson Rivers—who were eliminated from the playoff chase two weeks ago—move to 8-13 on the season while the Wesmen fall to 10-11.

Pat Hennelly with wife Heidi and daughter Tosca at 2013 Wendys Dreamlift

“It was a pretty good game for us offensively,” said Hennelly. “ Both middles were dialed in as was Brad Gunter (2^nd year, outside hitter, Courtenay, BC) .  Casey Knight (3^rd year, outside hitter, Salt Spring Island, BC)  started on the left side for the first time and had some great kills. Our offense was really clicking and I thought our passing was good as well.  We were working on our offense all semester so it was good to see it come out tonight.”

Casey Knight vs Alberta (Andrew Snucins photo)

Gunter led the way with 14 kills in 23 chances with a team high eight digs, a solo block and four block assists.

Mohamed Rehim ready to serve (Allen Douglas photo)

Mohamed Rehim (2^nd year, middle, Cairo, Egypt) was named the TRU Bookstore/McDonalds “Leader of the Pack” Player of the Game with 11 kills in 13 chances with three digs, a solo block and four block assists.

Rehim digs with Phil Ozari watching (Andrew Snucins photo)

Hennelly praised Rehim afterwards: “ We have been working on Manny’s blocking for quite a while and today it paid off.  He got a couple of solo stuff blocks and offensively, he was virtually unstoppable (.846 hitting percentage).

Colin Carson sets (Andrew Snucins photo)

Colin Carson (4th year, setter, Prince George, BC) had 32 assits and seven digs.

“TRU is a real good team and Pat Hennelly is a real good coach,” said Winnipeg head coach Larry McKay. “He has some real strong players over there. They played a very good match. They were better than us in every department tonight.  Hopefully tomorrow we can give them a better match.”

Winnipeg was led by Brendan Black (3^rd year, middle, Winnipeg, MB) and Casey Schouten (1^st year, opposite, East St Paul, MB) with eight kills a piece. Black had 16 chances while Schouten had 23 opportunities. He also had three service aces, four digs and one block assist.

Josh McKay (2^nd year, setter, Winnipeg, MB) had 27 assists.

Brad Gunter with hand on the ball vs UBC (Andrew Snucins photo)

Hennelly thought it was one of the best matches his team has played all season. “ In terms of blocking and serving,  for sure. Again, offensively we were dialed in pretty good. I thought Colin Carson and Brad Gunter made some big digs on their #10 guy (Schouton) who hit the ball pretty hard.  That has  happened to us at times this year where we had a guy like Phil (Ozari, 1^st year, outside hitter, Birkerod, Denmark) gets dug pretty hard and gets frustrated.  He (Schouton) hit the ball—three of them pretty hard that Colin dug very well.  That is tough on a young guy when your best hit gets dug up. It was good to see us so dialed in.”

Philip Ozari serves (George Wycherley photo)

The WolfPack had 9 team blocks compared to the Wesmen’s 4 and outdug them 38-27 on the night.

The two teams close out the 2012-13 Canada West regular season Saturday (Feb 9) at the Tournament Capital Centre starting at 6:45 pm.

The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack have ended the 2012-13 Canada West men’s volleyball season with a loss.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

With the team already out of the playoffs head coach Pat Hennelly experimented with his line up and got some players onto the floor that usually didn’t see that much action.  As a result, the ‘Pack fell 3-0 at home to the visiting University of Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday  (Feb 9).

The scores were 25-19,25-19,27-25.

The Wesmen finish the season at 11-11 while the WolfPack wind up at 8-14.

Graham Stoliker sets vs Winnipeg (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I wanted to put Graham Stoliker (2^nd year, setter, Surrey, BC) and Blake Majcher (3^rd year, libero, Brandon, MB) into the line up,” Hennelly said. “ I didn’t think they played poorly but we got a little nervous out there and were a little uncertain.  I am comfortable at this time of year to give two guys who worked so hard during the course of the year a chance to play.  We couldn’t stabilize and Winnipeg came out and was making some good shots off our block and good disciplined plays. Last night (a 3-0 TRU win over Winnipeg), they made some errors. They were in a much more stable place in terms of making errors.  I have no regrets. Those two guys deserved a chance to play and get some video.”

Blake Majcher (Andrew Snucins photo)

Stoliker had 20 assists in two sets while Majcher had five digs in three sets.

“We just got off to a better start tonight,” said Wesmen head coach Larry McKay. “ Our first contact was better and we were fortunate that Thompson Rivers did not.  We switched place with them from last night. I thought our squad was pretty calm throughout. There was no real highs or lows.  We maintained a constant even level.”

The Wesmen were led by Thomas Douglas Powell (3^rd year, outside hitter, Brisbane, AUS) who had 16 kills in 31 chances.   Michael Bommersbach (1^st year, setter, Winnipeg, MB) had 23 assists while Nicholas McCaughan (3^rd year, setter, Winnipeg, MB) had 11 assists.    Ty Loewen (3^rd year, outside hitter, East St. Paul , MB) had a team high eight digs.

Brad Gunter vs Winnipeg (Andrew Snucins photo)

For the WolfPack: Brad Gunter (2^nd year, outside hitter, Courtenay,BC)  had 10 kills in 27 opportunities and was named the TRU Bookstore/McDonalds “Leader of the Pack” Player of the Match.  He also had two service aces, four digs and a block assist.

Nic Balazs (Andrew Snucins photo)

Nic Balazs (2^nd year, middle, Prince George, BC) had nine kills in 16 swings.

Matt Krueger (Andrew Snucins photo)

Hennelly  used the match for one last look at combinations for next year as he has the potential to return his entire team. “ We go into a period  in a couple of weeks for spring training.  I think in a developmental stage, a guy like Graham as a second year guy is good to get out there. I think he did quite well in exhibition but we all know regular season play is something different.  We were quite aware that they were going to come out and be better. Winnipeg has only been swept by UBCO and Alberta.  We knew they were not a team which rarely goes away.  They were gritty.  I thought overall, it was a little disappointing that some of the starters from last night didn’t do a better job stabilizing but again it is the signs of a young team. It is something that we have to work on.”

The Wesmen now advance to the first round of the playoffs at the seventh place team in the Canada West. “  Getting this win evened our record and is easily strong enough to be in the playoffs, “McKay said. “ I am pleased for the guys because it’s a goal they set out for themselves.  We have a couple of practices this week and we hope to get our game up to a level to make some noise in the post season.”

Brielle Bays of Kamloops McDonalds was one of the dignitaries on hand during the final weekend of home games in the regular season for the WolfPack.
Above, Shannon Blakely presents Bays with framed photos of the WolfPack volleyball teams in appreciation for McDonald’s continued sponsorship of the Athletic Program.

Colin Carson of men’s volleyball receives McDonalds scholarship

Brielle Bays presents Katarina Osadchuk with her McDonalds bursary

Tom Barley presents his scholarship to Carly Nelson (left) and Spencer Reed (right)

Athough they failed to make the post season for the second straight year, the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s volleyball team did make a lot of progress in the 2012-13 campaign.

Stuart Richey (Andrew Snucins photo)

The WolfPack wound up tied for eighth spot in the Canada West this season with 8 wins and 14 losses. The win total was up substantially from the year previous when they won only three times.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

“It was an overall positive season,” said WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly, who finished his seventh season at the helm of the program.  “ It was disappointing to not make the playoffs again, thanks I think to us underachieving in the second half of the season.”

Jesse Bazergui (Andrew Snucins photo)

Hennelly felt overall, his squad was better than the 2011-12 version of the ‘Pack. “We were more cohesive as a group and more experienced,” he said.

Matt Krueger (Allan Douglas photo)

The WolfPack had a very tough first half of the 2012-13 campaign, playing most of the nationally ranked squads back to back.  “We had great wins on the road in Brandon and Manitoba,” Hennelly stated. “ We had a bad match at home against Regina to end the first half of the season and we kicked off the second half with a poor showing in Saskatoon (against Saskatchewan). “

Mohamed Rehim (Allan Douglas photo)

The coach felt that his club responded well at home against UBC on a weekend where the matches were played at the old TRU Gym (the teams split with TRU winning on the Friday night).  The following weekend, Thompson Rivers went into Calgary and were swept 3-0 both nights in a critical series. 

Manny Rehim and Krzysztof Orman vs Alberta (Andrew Snucins photo)

“We did end the season with a couple of wins and played well against Winnipeg and Mount Royal,” Hennelly explained . “ The experience will be helpful but it was still a very disappointing second half.”

Brad Gunter speaks with Rick Hansen

Individually, Hennelly saw a solid season from Brad Gunter (2^nd year, outside hitter, Courtenay, BC).  Gunter did, by no means, suffer a sophomore jinx.  He wound up 10 th in the Canada West in kills (3.42 per game) and 10 th in points (3.99 per game).

Jacob Tricarico (Andrew Snucins photo)

The middle of the court was also a strong suit for Thompson Rivers this season in Jacob Tricarico (4^th year, Huntington Beach, CA), Nic Balazs (2^nd year, Prince George, BC) and Mohamed Rehim (2^nd year, Cairo, Egypt).     Rehim was 4^th in the Canada West in hitting percentage (.436) and eighth in service aces (0.28 per set).  Balazs was ninth in hitting percentage (.348).

Nic Balazs (Andrew Snucins photo)

“We did struggle to find some offense from the left side of the court and consistency was a problem,” said Hennelly.  “ Philip (Ozari, 1^st year, Birkerod, Denmark) had a great match against UBC and was a big reason for our win.”  Ozari  had 15 kills in 26 chances with four service aces, a dig and two block assists in that match. He wound up sixth in service aces in the Canada West this season (0.29 per set).

Philip Ozari (Allen Douglas photo)

Looking ahead to next season, Hennelly has a lot to look forward to:  “ We have three players into their fifth season (Colin Carson and Spencer Reed (both Prince George, BC) and Tricarico).   Along with six players going into their fourth year (Matt Krueger (Abbotsford, BC), Stuart Richey (Gibsons, BC), Casey Knight (Salt Spring Island, BC), Blake Majcher (Brandon, MB), Hardy Wooldridge (Mission Viejo, CA) and Jesse Bazergui (White Rock, BC).  We will be a veteran team and expectations will be high to make the playoffs and beyond.”

Colin Carson and Spencer Reed

Hennelly points to the University of Saskatchewan as an example of a team built the way the WolfPack are: “They missed the playoffs six years in a row and made a big break through this year finishing third.  They had core of fourth and fifth year guys. Its my belief we can make a similar move next year.”

Hardy Wooldridge (Allen Douglas photo)

With so many returnees  there appear to be few open spots on the Thompson Rivers roster. But the coach wants to have the best product out on the court in 2013-14. “ I will be looking at college and high school levels for additional recruits,” he says. “ But it has to be the perfect fit. I think we have enough talent and skill already here to make the playoffs.”

Pat Hennelly vs UBC (Andrew Snucins photo)

He adds: “We gained a lot of experience this year with matches against Argentina, Pepperdine, and the Thunderball Tournament.  We had some excellent results in the exhibition season and now have to perform better in league games and be more consistent.”

Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s volleyball coach Pat Hennelly isn’t discriminating when it comes to players.  Whether they be international or home grown, Hennelly wants the best prospects he can get.  And when that prospect is from the BC Interior, it’s that much more special .

The WolfPack and Hennelly are pleased to announce the commitment of their second player starting in the fall of 2013.   6’4” setter Tyler Pomietlarz of Kelowna, BC has signed a CIS letter of intent to join Thompson Rivers.  He follows in the footsteps of  6’6” left side/middle Jordan Foot of Prince George, BC.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I have been tracking Tyler’s progress since he was 14, “ said Hennelly. “ I like the fact that Tyler has improved every year.  He was cut from Team BC U-16 and then went out and improved over a year of high school and club and made the provincial team the very next year.”

Pomietlarz’s  Team BC finished second at the 2012 Western Elites.

Tyler Pomietlarz

“I am so happy to join this team, stated Pomietlarz.  “ I got a chance to practice with them in January and am so excited about becoming a member of the WolfPack.  The practice session I was part of was very welcoming. I didn’t feel awkward at all.”

Pomietlarz with Kelowna Secondary (photo submitted)

Pomietlarz has been playing volleyball for five years, starting in grade 7.  He admits that his size for a setter is a bit unusual. “That was one of the things Pat wanted to do is recruit a big setter.  I am the tallest setter in BC.”

He says his height and his hands are his main strengths. “ My size does help a lot but I think my major strength is my game sense and the way I can develop plays.  I think ahead of what’s going on out there during a game.”

Pomietlarz attends Kelowna Secondary School  and has been coached the last three years by Michael Sodaro.

Coach Mike Sordaro (photo supplied)

“He is very determined to continue to improve,” Sodaro, whos coached high school and club in Kelowna for the last 15 years states. “ He knows that he needs to learn and get stronger to compete at the CIS level, but brings with him the desire and ability to be a great CIS setter. He wants to win.”

Pomietlarz (back row on extreme left) was “AAA” All-star (photo submitted)

Pomietlarz was part of the K.S.S. team which finished second at the 2012 BC “AAA” high school boys championships where he was a second team all-star.

Current WolfPack starting setter Colin Carson (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I think Tyler will blossom here under Mike Hawkins as an assistant coach and Colin Carson (Prince George, BC) as a fifth year setter as well as Graham Stoliker (3^rd year, setter, Surrey, BC),” states Hennelly.  “The first year, Tyler will get a chance to develop strength and be mentored by our current setters and coaching staff. The plan is when Carson finishes his fifth year, Tyler will be able to step in and run our offense and team systems along with Graham without missing a beat.”

Hennelly in a time out (Andrew Snucins photo)

Adds Hennelly :” Tyler had options to go play earlier at College, but decided to spend a year developing at TRU.  I think this will pay dividends for Tyler and our program for the future.”

During his visit, Pomietlarz got to do something no other WolfPack recruit in any sport has done: and that was be a part of a school visit, something the Thompson Rivers Athletic program prides itself on. 

Pomietlarz during school visit

“When I went into the elementary school, all the kids thought I was part of the WolfPack team,” he said. “ They were giving me high five and doing the wolf howls. It was very cool to fit in nicely with the rest of the guys. Its not often the whole community knows about volleyball players.  I am looking forward to participating in more community events over the next five years.”

Pomietlarz will be enrolled in the business program at TRU with an eye to earning a Bachelor of Business Administration.

Fellow WolfPack recruit Jordan Foot

The two newest WolfPack—Foot and Pomietlarz are very familiar to each other, according to Hennelly. “ Tyler and Jordan were teammates with Team BC and plan on being roommates at TRU.”

SIDE OUTS:  Sodaro and Hennelly have a past.  They are good friends from their University days at UBC.   Sodaro  admits he does think he did have a bit of a hand in getting Pomietlarz to choose Thompson Rivers. “ I have faith and his ability to train Tyler into a great setter. Pat has done a tremendous job and sees the potential in Tyler. If your coach believes in your future as much as you do, you have a greater chance at success.  I also think it’s a great opportunity to leave Kelowna, still be close to home, which is good for him and his family for support.

Pomietlarz’s Kelowna Secondary team (photo submitted)

Sodaro has this anecdote:  “ I did an interview of my own children (three boys aged 5,7 and 9) talking about the 2012 KSS Owls.  They have been around these boys since grade eight and have played with them over the years-they look up to all of my players. I asked my boys which of the players was their favorite and my seven year old chose Tyler out of the 12 layers, which shows he made a great effort to know and play with my children on tournaments, practices and trips. I really appreciated that.”

It was ‘support your fellow athlete’ night at Memorial Arena on Saturday (Mar 9). Members of the WolfPack women’s soccer, men’s volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and cross country teams were all in attendance lending their support to the hockey team as they tried to stay alive in their BC Intercollegiate Hockey League playoff series with SFU. Photos courtesy of Allen Douglas, Andrew Snucins and Larry Read

Jorri Duxbury of Women’s Basketball (Allen Douglas photo)

Amanda Barrett, Jamie Wheeler, Taylor Miller, Courtney Daly and Madison Ellis of Women’s Soccer (Larry Read photo)

Signs of support vs SFU (Andrew Snucins photo)

Blake Majcher of men’s volleyball and Vanessa Zilkie of women’s soccer (Allen Douglas photo)

members of the WolfPack men’s and women’s volleyball squads watch the action (Allen Douglas photo)

2012-13 Graduating athletes (Andrew Snucins photo)

A member of the men’s soccer team and a female cross country honor were the major winners as the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack held their annual year end awards banquet tonight (Mar 28) at the TRU Grand Hall.

Jack Miller (Cross Country coach), Justin Smeaton and Doctor Alan Shaver with Dr. Roger H. Barnsley Scholar Athlete Award (Andrew Snucins photo)

Justin Smeaton (Kamloops, BC)  of men’s soccer and cross country runner Rolena De Bruyn (Grand Forks, BC) were awarded with the Dr. Roger H. Barnsley Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. The award goes to the student athlete who best combines academics, and athletic performance. All nominees qualify as “TRU Scholar Athletes”.

Justin Smeaton (Andrew Snucins photo)

Smeaton is a computer science major in the faculty of Science.  He had a Grade Point Average of 4.07 this past fall.  Smeaton was a  Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Scholar Athlete his entire four year post-secondary career.  He was also one of the first players off the bench for the WolfPack soccer squad.

Rolena De Bruyn (Andrew Snucins photo)

De Bruyn had a G.P.A. of 4.26 in the faculty of Science.  She was 50 th overall at the 2012-13 CCAA Nationals in Quebec this past November.

Other nominees for the Barnsley Award were  Erika Dufort (badminton), Taiysa Worsfold (women’s basketball), Emily Edmundson (women’s soccer), Kristen Giesbrecht (women’s volleyball), Kyle Sandulescu (baseball), Mark Carolan (cross country), Nathan Michaels (hockey), and Brett Rouault (men’s basketball).

The Barnsley Award honors excellence in the classroom and on the playing field.

Kevin Pribilsky (left) Christopher Seguin-VP Advancement (center) and Diane Schuetze (right): Sports Task Force Athletes of the Year (Andrew Snucins photo)

The Sports Task Force Athlete of the Year—which is based totally on outstanding performance on the field, ice or court went to two basketball players.

Diane Schuetze (Andrew Snucins photo)

Diane Schuetze (Vernon, BC)  was a CIS first team All-Canadian. The fifth year post led the nation in defensive rebounds (166 ) and was first in total rebounds (248).  She was third in offensive rebounds (82), third in rebounds per game (11.3), fifth in blocks (34), fifth in free throws (103-142), sixth in total points (391), sixth in field goals (149-269), seventh in field goal percent (53.2) and ninth in the country in scoring (17.8 points per game).

Kevin Pribilsky (Andrew Snucins photo)

The male athlete of the year was Kevin Pribilsky (Victoria, BC).  The fifth year guard was a leader on and off the court for the men’s basketball team this season.

Other nominees for female athlete of the year were women soccer players Alanna Bekkering and Blair MacKay and badminton player Anica Arduini.

Other nominees for male athlete of the year were baseball player David Hole, Joey Chu of badminton, Alessio Tomassetti of hockey, Colin Carson of men’s volleyball and men’s soccer player Ashley Raynes.

The other major award handed out was the newly named Cliff Neufeld Leadership Award.  This goes to the athlete who not only excels on the court, field or ice but also leads by example with their teammates and in the community.

Abbey McAuley (left)-Jon Shephard-Athletics Assistant and Spencer Reed (right) Cliff Neufeld Leadership Award (Andrew Snucins photo)

The winners for 2012-13 were soccer player Abbey McAuley (Langley,BC) and men’s volleyball player Spencer Reed (Prince George, BC).   This is McAuley’s second time winning the award.  She captured it in 2010-11.

Spencer Reed (Andrew Snucins photo)

Other nominees were Jessie Paustian (cross country), Jen Ju (women’s basketball), Curtis Tonello (hockey), Kevin Pribilsky (men’s basketball) and Sebastian Gardner (men’s soccer).

Sebastian Gardner (left) Tyler Lowey (center) and Kevin Cramer (right)-Tyler Lowey Award winners (Andrew Snucins photo)

Gardner and baseball player Kevin Cramer (Camp Verde, AZ) were honored with the Tyler Lowey Award.   Gardner was recognized for returning to school and soccer after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Cramer made a comeback after suffering a serious spinal cord injury.  Gardner’s cancer has returned and he starts a second round of aggressive chemo therapy next month.

 Four TRU students graduating with their Tourism Sport Event Management diploma are organizing Kamloops’ first-ever Beach Volleyball Tournament to raise money for the Elizabeth Fry Society. The event is being spearheaded by Christof Orman from Czestochowa, Poland who is on full scholarship at TRU and holds numerous European and World Volleyball Championship titles. The event will be held May 11th from 9 am to 6 pm at The Beach Volleyball Centre (245 Kitchener Crescent).  Students are doing this event with their true dedication and passion to give back to community.

Krzyzstof Orman (Andrew Snucins photo)

“We have named the event serve your community because we are organizing it to offer our gratitude to Kamloops for being such a welcoming and giving home while we have been here as students,” says Christof Orman.

“We are very pleased to have TRU students show their support of the Elizabeth Fry Society in such a pro-active way,” says Louise Richards, Executive Director, Elizabeth Fry Society. “”This money will go to help women and their children rebuild their lives through our focused programming in the Kamloops region.”

Orman with Polish flag (Andrew Snucins photo)

20 teams are participating. The students hope to raise $3000. The deadline for sign-up is on Monday, May 6^th. The cost to participate is $120 a team ($20 per person). The entertainment will include zumba on a sand, belly, latin, hip-hop and hoopla hoop dance. There will be also free yoga session for participants and spectators. The event will happen rain or shine. Parking will be available on Kitchener Crescent along with beach courts and Henry Group Education Centre.-

Orman helping out at a WolfPack clinic

The Elizabeth Fry Society (www.kamloopsefry.com) is celebrating 40^th Anniversary this year of operating as a Non-for-Profit Organization. May 2013 is going to be a month of Elizabeth Fry Society.

If you are interested in signing up for the event, click this link: http://acm.tru.ca/Page17084.aspx#reg

One of the major edicts given varsity athletes with the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack is to try and ‘give back’ to the community.  For many, they move into coaching or helping out in the sport that gave them so much success as an athlete.

Mike Hawkins being interviewed before a WolfPack match this year (Andrew SNucins photo)

Such is the case with two members of the WolfPack men’s volleyball team.  Krzysztof Orman (Czestochowa, Poland) and Mike Hawkins (Lethbridge, AB) have been coaching the “Pack U-15 boys club team through the Kamloops Volleyball Association for the past few months.

Krzyzstof Orman (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I was asked by Ashley Shannik (Thompson Rivers volleyball alumni) and Pat Hennelly (Current TRU WolfPack men’s head coach) if I wanted to help them out,” said Hawkins. “I jumped at the opportunity.”

Hawkins has enjoyed his time as a head coach, after spending this past CIS campaign as an assistant under Hennelly with the ‘big ‘ WolfPack.  “It’s less physically demanding being on the other side of an intense defensive drill or physical training exercise that is for sure. But, before the beginning of this year, I don’t think I really understood the intricacies of being a coach. Choosing the best drills, addressing the team’s weaknesses and working on them, planning a practice and even being able to verbally deliver the ideas in my head to the team were all challenges.”

Mike Hawkins setting as a player in 2011-12

Surprisingly, Hawkins says the adjustment from a player to a coach wasn’t as hard as he imagined. “I think being a captain four of my five years of post-secondary helped me since I have the ‘experience of being a coach on the court,’ he laughs. “ I always embraced that aspect of being a layer. A lot of recognition has to go out to the guys on the TRU team for the maturity they showed throughout the year when I was instructing or running practices.” Though we are all good friends off the court, when we stepped into the gym, it was all business. ”

U-15 Pack at the net (Ashley Shannik photo)

That experience with his former teammates now players helped with the transition to coaching with the “Jr. Pack.”  They have taken their team to three tournaments thus far including a third place finish at the Okanagan championships this past weekend (Apr 20-21).

Hawkins watches his crew at the Okanagan Championships (Ashley Shannik photo)

“We were a little disappointed,” Hawkins stated. “A poor reflection of what our team is capable of.”

He admits he had some reservations taking a younger group of players.  “I wasn’t sure I had the patience and the basic technical understanding to benefit these boys. But this club season has been fulfilling for me as it has hopefully been for the team.”

Although they are playing in the U-15 division, many of the players on the ‘Pack” are younger. “We have a number of players who are one or even two years below the age limit, so there was a substantial gap in volleyball experience and even physical coordination,” Hawkins says. “The guys have worked really hard in practices on their basic skill set, which has come a long way since the beginning of the season. We are seeing the benefits now in our team play as the guys are more confident that the teammate beside him will do their job.”

Taylor Labonte (Ashley Shannik photo)

Hawkins and Orman have been working at least twice a week with the young players.   Their message seems to be getting through.  “It’s been a lot of fun and a very good learning experience,’ says Taylor LaBonte. “ They taught us a lot of new things and helped us improve as players.”

Bryce Turner serves (Ashley Shannik photo)

“I have learned a lot from them, “stated Bryce Turner, who attends Valleyview Secondary. “ I like hearing about their experiences.  I learned from Mike that I have to push my thumbs when I set. I also learned about mental training like ‘reset button’ and ‘love, power, equal.”

Hawkins gives Turner a high five (Ashley Shannik photo)

“Mike and Krzysztof taught me to be a better hitter and defender,” added LaBonte, who goes to Brock Middle school but will attend NorKam in September.

Having the two Thompson Rivers student/athletes helping the younger players has been win-win for everyone.

“Club volleyball has been fun and entertaining,” says LaBonte.” It helped with our skills and develops us as players in a competitive setting.  I want to keep improving and excelling and try and make it as far as I can.  I’d love to play for a university, maybe TRU in the future.”

“I got to meet new people, become a better leader and learned lots of new skills,” stated Turner.  “ I would like to play on Team BC and play college and maybe even pro after leading my high school team to a provincial title.”

And for Hawkins?  “This team has been an incredible learning experience for me and has only fueled my desire to be a coach in this sport for years to come.

Orman with the flag of Poland (Andrew Snucins photo)

Orman feels the same way. “ I really enjoy trying to encourage and motivate young athletes—I wish when I was a youngster, I could have had this kind of chance to work with elite athletes.”

Hawkins calls a time out (Ashley Shannik photo)

WolfPack coach Pat Hennelly, who started a boys club program when he arrived in Kamloops nine years ago is happy to see his players with the help of Shannik resurrecting things.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

“It’s great that the guys are helping out even though their plates are pretty full with school and their commitment here,’ he says. “ This really helps guy’s volleyball in Kamloops.  Ashley has done a wonderful job of keeping this club going. I think there is a good chance that one of the kids involved with this team could wind up playing for TRU down the road.”

Adds Hennelly: “Kamloops has struggled with putting together a consistent boys program. Sa-hali and Valleyview have had teams in the past.  Ashley and her sister are putting a lot of effort into re building a program at Norkam.   It’s been frustrating but there are not a lot of high school boy’s coaches around.”

Hawkins with his U-15 WolfPack team (Ashley Shannik photo)

SIDE OUTS:  Hawkins on ‘channeling’ his inner Pat Hennelly while coaching: “ I have found myself saying a lot of things Pat would say, similar lines like “ being dialed in” and things like that, which always makes me laugh. Pat and I have similar styles on how we not only coach the game but watch it. We both like a higher tempo, aggressive style of volleyball because it is more entertaining to watch and enjoyable to play. I respect Pat a ton as a coach and hope I can pick up as much from him in my time here as I can. He has had an impressive career thus far based on his gritty, hardworking attitude and I can only hope to adopt some of that.”

Orman working a high school girls camp earlier this year

Orman on his coaching style: “I take it from my best coaches over my beach and indoor career and also observation and evaluation of over 10 years of playing both sports—what works and what doesn’t. I put a lot of attention and time on the technical aspect. They (the players) will always have a chance to play, but to actually learn the right and proper individual technique is very limited in Canada. There isn’t enough time spent generally on that.”

Hennelly on starting club boys’ volleyball program when he came to Kamloops in 2005: “We started a club team and a bunch of kids from South Kam were a part of it. They played for one year and because they didn’t have a high school program they stopped.  We went from 14 kids to six dedicated volleyball players.  We then tried to start a program with players from Sa-Hali and Valleyview.  It tailed off after three years. “

Hennelly on the newest version of club boys’ volleyball: “This club (The Pack U-15) is a step in the right direction and will help support the NorKam and Valleyview senior boys programs.  It great that they are out playing and ties them to the sport. It looks like a couple of them will be trying out for Team BC.”

The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will be well represented as the Canadian Junior National men’s volleyball team opens its training and evaluation camp in Gatineau, Quebec on Thursday (May 2).

Nick Balazs (Andrew Snucins photo)

Head coach Pat Hennelly along with players Nick Balazs (middle, Prince George, BC) and Brad Gunter (outside hitter, Courtenay, BC) will be a part of the 40 man roster who will vye for berths on the U-21 Canadian team for the FIVB World Junior Championship. The junior worlds are August 22-September 1 in Ankara and Izmir, Turkey.

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I am happy both guys have decided to attend the tryouts,” says Hennelly. “This year is different than the 2012 try out process, which was a tournament. This year, it’s a five day group try out. We have been training hard since the first week of March, lifting three times a week and practicing at least four times a week. I think this will have both guys prepared.”

Brad Gunter (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I hope I can stand out more in this group tryout,’ says Gunter.  “ I am confident in my chances. I have been focused on making the team for a while.  Getting cut last year made me want to work harder and make the club this year.”

Gunter with the kill vs Alberta (Andrew Snucins photo)

Gunter adds: “ Making this team will help me prepare for the next CIS season in a huge way. The amount of training I would be doing would put me above my competition.”

Former WolfPack star Gord Perrin with Canada’s Senior National Team (photo courtesy of Volleyball Canada)

Hennelly will be attending the camp as a guest coach. “ I went to the Junior Nationals when Gord Perrin (former WolfPack star and now professional player in Turkey and member of Canada’s Senior men’s team) was a first year player.  I’m looking forward to watching another junior team tryout.”

Pat Hennelly with Team BC at 2011 Western Canada Summer Games (photo courtesy of WCSG)

Hennelly is also at the camp in his role as a Team BC high performance committee member.  “It will be helpful to see what goes on at the junior national team level and what we can implement at the Team BC level.”

Balazs waiting for ball (Andrew Snucins photo)

The coach of the Junior National team for 2013 is Dave Preston, the long time head coach of McMaster.

The team will train in Gatineau from June 24 to July 4 th and will continue its training in Hamilton, Ontario until July 12 th.  The team will compete at an important international event prior to the worlds, the U-21 Pan Am Cup (July 12-12) in Costa Rica.  Training will resume in Hamilton on July 25 th and the team departs for Turkey August 15 th.

Jesse Bazergui with the dig in action this season (Allen Douglas photo)

If Gunter fails to make the Junior National team, he will play with Team BC at the Canada Summer Games in Quebec this August. He’ll be joined on that squad by WolfPack teammate Jesse Bazergui (outside hitter, White Rock, BC).

For the first time in three years, there will be a member of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack on Canada’s Junior National men’s volleyball team.

Second year outside hitter Brad Gunter (Courtenay, BC) was selected to the squad after a five day training camp at the National Training Centre.

Gunter becomes the first WolfPack player to make the squad since Colin Carson (setter, Prince George, BC) did it in 2010.

Brad Gunter vs Alberta (Andrew Snucins photo)

“ I had a sluggish start to the camp,” said Gunter a few hours after being named to the team. “ I had a talk with Pat (Hennelly, head coach of the WolfPack) and settled down and started connecting with balls.  I was nervous this morning going into meetings. It’s an awesome feeling to get the chance to represent our country.”

Nic Balazs (Andrew Snucins photo)

The 6’5” outside hitter was one of two Thompson Rivers players attending the tryout camp.  The other was 3^rd year middle Nick Balazs (Prince George, BC).

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

 Hennelly was on hand as a guest coach at the try out camp.  “ I am proud of both Brad and Nic,” he says. “ Brad was cut last year and used it as motivation in the gym. He had a spike touch of 11’7.5”.  That was up four inches from last year. Credit goes to Jenn Joyce (WolfPack strength coach) and Mike Hawkins (TRU assistant coach) who was in charge of the majority of spring training.”

WolfPack assistant coach Mike Hawkins being interviewed by Justine Cleghorn (Andrew Snucins photo)

Thompson Rivers players worked out four times a week and lifted three times a week for the entire month of March and April.

Gunter (right) listens to Hennelly during a time out (Andrew Snucins photo)

Hennelly adds: “ Brad started slow at this camp and really finished strong on the last day. I think Nic was in tough as one of the shortest middles but really had a strong showing ending up in the top half of middles statistically. I was really proud of how Nic did in tryouts with lots of talk and hustle. He served well and worked hard. I think he was hampered a bit by a ham string injury three weeks ago (Although he wouldn’t complain or use it as an excuse).

Gunter with ball in his hand vs Regina (George Wycherley photo)

As for Gunter, the coach says. “Brad was named the top high school player in BC and is now in the top 14 players for his age group in all of Canada. He is really hitting the ball hard and continues to improve.  Brad is hard working and humble had has been a great addition to our program. Hopefully he will make his mark with Team Canada.”

Gunter digging (Andrew Snucins photo)

Gunter appeared in 71 sets in 2012-13 with TRU, notching 263 kills, 163 digs,17 solo blocks and 3.99 points—all of which were team highs. He also had 31 block assists and 12 service aces.    Gunter’s 3.42 kills per game was 10 th best in the Canada West and his 3.99 points per game was also good enough for 10 th place in the Canada West overall standings.

Gunter with the finger roll vs Alberta (Andrew Snucins photo)

Gunter and the Junior National team will  resume training June 24-July 4^th in Gatineau before  moving to Hamilton, Ontario to finish training until July 12 th.   The team will compete in the U-21 Pan Am Cup July 12-20 in Costa Rica.

The rest of the summer will see Team Junior Canada  training in Hamilton from July 25 th before leaving for Turkey and the World Junior Championships which go August 22-September 1^st.

Gunter goes up for the kill vs Calgary (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I am really looking forward to going to Turkey,” Gunter explains. “  I have never been to Europe or that part of the world.”

Philip Ozari with Denmark Flag (Andrew Snucins photo)

Gunter isn’t the only member of the WolfPack men’s team who will be playing at a higher level this summer.   Philip Ozari (1st  year, outside hitter, Birkerod, Denmark) is playing on the Danish U-20 team while Jesse Bazergui ( 3rd  year, outside hitter, White Rock, BC)  will play with Team BC at the Canada Summer Games in Quebec in August.

SIDE OUTS: Team Canada is coached by Dave Preston, the long time head coach of McMaster (OUA).  ” Brad is a very talented and physicial player,” he says about Gunter. ” He has a very live arm and was veryimpressive with his power in attacking the ball. He got better and better as the training camp went on-a testiment to his physical capacity.”

Preston says this experience can only help Gunter as a player. ” The experience and opportunities that are now available for Brad could be very productive for him to becoming an international level volleyblal playser. But it won’t be realized without continuous effort and hard work. I think Brad will make the most of what is in front of him and hopefully represent Canada for a long time to come.”

Brad Gunter of the WolfPack will play with Canada’s junior national team (Andrew Snucins photo)

The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will be well represented this summer playing at a number of provincial, national and international levels of men’s volleyball.

The latest to be chosen for a select team are the two newest members of the TRU men’s volleyball program: Jordan Foot of Prince George, BC and Tyler Pomietlarz of Kelowna, BC.

The two will be part of the Team BC U-19 program, coached by former WolfPack assistant coach and Kamloops resident Drew Venables.

Tyler Pomietlarz -WolfPack recruit

“I am really happy to have made the team,” said the 6’5” Pomietlarz, who is a setter.  “ We have a really strong group of guys that will do well this summer.”

Jordan Foot- WolfPack recruit

“I am very proud to be representing my province and I’m excited to be playing with BC’s best,” added Foot, who is a 6’6” middle.

This is Foot’s third straight year in the Team BC program while Pomietlarz is into his second season with the team.  Both were teammates last summer.

Jordan Foot playing with his Prince George Club team (photo submitted)

“I am really pumped to be competing alongside Tyler,”Foot explains. “ He is a fine player and brings a great vibe to the team.”

“He (Foot) is great to play with and is a very strong communicator,” adds Pomietlarz. “Playing with Jordan at a high level of volleyball will help us develop communication skills that will prove invaluable for us over the next five years with the WolfPack.”

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

“I am very pleased that both Tyler and Jordan have made Team B.C.,” says WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly. “ It will be a great experience for both these guys to train under two great young coaches in Drew Venables (currently an assistant coach at Vancouver Island University (PACWEST)) and Matt Lebourdais (current UBC assistant coach).  It will help both of these players make the transition to CIS volleyball easier and reinforces that they are two of the best in British Columbia.  I have been pleased with the development of both these players over the last year and feel we are getting two strong athletes who will help solidify the future of our program.”

Team BC will train in Vancouver and will compete in the National Team Challenge Cup (July 16-21) at the National Team training Centre in Gatineau, Quebec.

“It will be a challenge,” Pomietlarz explains about the National Team Challenge. “ We are a young team, all being 17 or 18 years old and just out of high school.  We will be playing against first and maybe second year university/college players.  This is an exciting prospect.”

Jesse Bazergui will play with Team BC this summer (Andrew Snucins photo)

Other WolfPack players competing at the elite level this summer are: Brad Gunter (Courtenay, BC) with Canada’s Junior national team,  Phil Ozari (Birkerod, Denmark) with the Danish U-20 team and Jesse Bazergui (White Rock,BC) with Team BC’s U-21 program.

SIDE OUTS:  Both Foot and Pomietlarz had Venables as a head coach with Team BC’s under 17 program in 2011. “ I like his intensity and focus,” states Pomietlarz.  “ Drew is very motivating and competitive,” added Foot.

Pomietlarz will be graduating this June from Kelowna Secondary. Foot  from DP Tod Secondary.

Adds Foot: “ I would like to thank my club coaches Dan Drezet, Ryan Thibault and Glenn Wong for preparing me to compete and train at the elite level.”

Manny Reheim and Phil Ozari are two of the Internationals on the WolfPacks current roster (Andrew Snucins photo)

By MARK HUNTER
Daily News Sports Reporter

(Posted with Permission of Kamloops Daily News)

WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly (Andrew Snucins photo)

Pat Hennelly, head coach of the TRU WolfPack, built a successful men’s volleyball program on a foundation of international players.

Now he’s a little frustrated that Canadian Interuniversity Sport and the WolfPack’s conference, Canada West, will limit the number of international players on each team beginning in 2014-15.

Daniel Rod is from Norway (Andrew Snucins photo)

The CIS annual general meeting is to wrap up in Toronto today, but the directors already have approved a rule change limiting the number of international players on volleyball teams to two.

Hennelly knew a rule change was imminent, but thought the limit would be three internationals per team. His shock at the lower number is secondary to his frustration about the new rule, which he said came out of the success of two smaller Canada West programs – TRU and the Brandon Bobcats.

Hennelly with American Hardy Wooldridge in background (Andrew Snucins photo)

“When we first joined the (CIS), people were wondering, ‘How are they going to be competitive? Is the talent pool going to be watered down?’ ” Hennelly said. “I think the rule is just a reaction to our success.”

Last years WolfPack team had six internationals (Andrew Snucins photo)

The WolfPack’s 2012-13 roster featured six players from outside of Canada, including two Americans, who are considered international players.

Krzysztof Orman (orange), Jacob Tricarico and Manny Reheim (white) were part of the interntional contingent last year

Hennelly said he expects to have five of those players back in 2013-14, and he would hope to have four or five back in 2014-15, when the new rules go into effect. He isn’t sure, but hopes the rule will be grandfathered in, so he doesn’t have to release any players.

Phil Ozari is from Denmark (George Wycherley photo)

“I can’t see how they could force us to cut (an international) guy when he’s already here,” Hennelly said.

Krzystof Orman is Polish (Andrew Snucins photo)

The WolfPack joined Canada West in 2005-06, and went 1-19 in its first season.

Behlul Yavasgel was a player and coach with TRU. He is Turkish (Andrew Snucins photo)

Hennelly turned things around the next season, with TRU going 6-12 to make the playoffs. A big reason for the improvement was the play of Danish middle Martin Korsbak, Turkish outside Behlul Yavasgel and French outside Robin Schoebel, who was named the conference’s rookie of the year.

Hardy Wooldridge and Jacob Tricarico were the U.S. Contingent with the WolfPack last season (Andrew Snucins photo)

TRU made the CIS championship in each of the next three seasons, winning bronze in 2008.

The Bobcats have had similar success, and had a great run from 2005-11 behind the play of Australian middle Paul Sanderson. Last season, Brandon won its first Canada West title and finished third in the country thanks to a roster featuring two Australians, two New Zealanders and a Swiss player.

“This is a direct result of us and Brandon having success,” Hennelly said. “Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Regina, Alberta, Calgary, Trinity Western, UBC . . . they’ve all had international players. And historically . . . there have been international players since the 1980s.

“Are they against international players, or really good international players?”

Kevin Tillie went from TRU to the NCAA and U.C. Irvine (photo contributed)

The argument will be made that the CIS is looking to create more spots for Canadian players, but Hennelly feels, “If that was their intention, this would have been a rule 15 years ago.”

Hennelly noted that TRU is a proud home to thousands of international students, all of whom pay a recreational fee as part of their student fees.

Tillie with the WolfPack (Andrew Snucins photo)

The NCAA, the governing body for collegiate athletics in the U.S., has no such rule, and Hennelly feels that this is how it should be – he wants the best athletes on the court at all times. It also evens the playing field a bit, Hennelly said, allowing smaller schools like TRU to compete with bigger ones like the University of British Columbia.

At Gonzaga University in Spokane, the Bulldogs men’s basketball team has no trouble competing with bigger, more historical programs, mostly because of its willingness to recruit players from outside of the U.S.

Kamloops native Kelly Olynyk with Gonzaga of NCAA (photo contributed)

One of those players is Kamloops’ Kelly Olynyk, who helped Gonzaga to its first No. 1 ranking in 2012-13, and is set to be taken in the NBA draft at the end of the month. Olynyk’s father, Ken, is the WolfPack’s athletic director.

“Thankfully the NCAA doesn’t have that rule (limiting internationals) otherwise Kelly Olynyk never would have got to Gonzaga – they already had more than two internationals,” Hennelly said.

Hennelly knows he will have to adapt, but that’s nothing new.

Robin Schoebel was a TRU Athlete of the Year (photo from TRU Archives)

When he came to TRU, he had to get creative to bring in top players, which led to his finding Yavasgel, Korsbak and Schoebel (although Schoebel actually emailed a number of schools looking for a place to play, and Hennelly happened to be the first coach to email back with a solid offer). Hennelly also has been bringing in older college transfers to play while some of his younger players get used to the CIS.

“It’s a rule – whether I agree with it or not, I’ll just have to modify my recruiting,” he said.

mhunter@kamloopsnews.ca

By MARK HUNTER
Daily News Sports Reporter

(Posted with Permission of Kamloops Daily News)

If anyone with the TRU WolfPack is upset with Canada West’s newly created basketball divisions, they certainly weren’t saying it Thursday.

Canada West announced at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport annual meeting that it was splitting its 17 basketball teams into two divisions for 2014-15 – 11 teams will be in one, with the WolfPack and five others in the other. All six teams in the WolfPack’s division are new to Canada West, each having moved into the conference in the past eight years.

TRU Sports Information Officer Larry Read (Andrew Snucins photo)

“We are OK with the two divisions,” said TRU sports information officer Larry Read, who was present at the CIS meetings in Toronto. “What we have concerns about is the playoff format, but that hasn’t been hammered out yet.”

TRU Athletics and Recreation Director Ken Olynyk

Read was speaking on behalf of athletic director Ken Olynyk, who was in transit and unavailable for comment.

Canada West granted membership status to Edmonton’s Grant MacEwan Griffins last month, giving it 17 basketball playing members. Because of this, the conference was forced to create two divisions so it could build a manageable schedule.

The WolfPack’s division will feature the UNBC Timberwolves of Prince George, the Fraser Valley Cascades of Abbotsford, Kelowna’s UBC-Okanagan Heat, the Mount Royal Cougars in Calgary and the Griffins. The WolfPack joined Canada West in 2005-06, with all the other schools joining after.

A decided lack of history and limited success seem to be all the teams in TRU’s division have in common with one another.

WolfPack women’s basketball head coach Scott Reeves (Andrew Snucins photo)

“There seems to be no rationale for this,” said Scott Reeves, head coach of the WolfPack women’s basketball team. “It’s not by numbers, it’s not by geography . . . all these teams (in the other division) aren’t powerhouses. I’m not sure why they did it like this.”

Reeves’s TRU counterpart saw some logic in the moves.

WolfPack men’s basketball head coach Scott Clark (Andrew Snucins photo)

“They had to split (the conference) up somehow,” said WolfPack men’s basketball head coach Scott Clark. “They’ve chosen to go with divisions made up of like-minded institutions – there are the older, more-established institutions in one, and the younger, less-established ones in terms of size in the other.”

Clark calls a time out (Allen Douglas photo)

Those older institutions in that other division are the Alberta Golden Bears, Brandon Bobcats, Calgary Dinos, Lethbridge Pronghorns, Manitoba Bisons, Regina Cougars, Saskatchewan Huskies, Trinity Western Spartans, UBC Thunderbirds, Victoria Vikings and Winnipeg Wesmen.

Because there won’t be any interdivisional play before playoffs, TRU won’t get the chance to play Canada West games against three teams from B.C. – the Spartans, T-Birds and Vikings. The Vikings and T-Birds are two programs with a lot of history and prestige, but they won’t be stopping at TRU during the regular season anymore.

Clark said that none of this is a problem. He points to the NCAA’s Gonzaga Bulldogs, who play in the West Coast Conference. Despite being a small school in a small conference – most of the members are Jesuit schools with low enrolment – the Bulldogs never have any trouble recruiting players.

Part of the reason is that Gonzaga always schedules tough games in its non-conference schedule.

Zach Usherwood listens to Clark during a time out (Allen Douglas photo)

“I don’t think playing UBC has any effect (on recruiting),” Clark said. “When kids come to play basketball at Thompson Rivers University, they come because of the school, because of the climate, the residence. . . .

“And we can still put together a good non-conference schedule.”

The Canada West season runs from late October to early March, with most of December off for Christmas and exams. TRU can schedule non-conference games before the season opens and during the December break.

Reeves diagrams a play vs Winnipeg (Andrew Snucins photo)

“This just makes those non-conference games more important,” Reeves said. “We’ll have to play tougher teams in the preseason and at Christmas.”

There seemed to be a number of options for dividing the conference – a geographical split could have been a logical one, especially when one considers there are seven programs in B.C., five in Alberta and five combined in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Clark mentioned that he thought some of the bigger schools with football and hockey programs – Manitoba, Alberta, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Regina and UBC – might split into their own division, leaving the rest of the schools in another division.

Canada West’s playoff format will have to be tweaked because of the changes. Some of the options being kicked around are having either eight or 12 teams in the postseason.

Clark on the sidelines (Andrew Snucins photo)

“That’s for the athletic directors to figure out,” Clark said. “They determined that this is what they want to do.”

THE NEW LOOK

The Canada West divisions in basketball and soccer to be implemented in 2014-15, as announced Thursday at meetings in Toronto (men’s and women’s volleyball will feature all 13 teams in one division):

BASKETBALL

Division 1: Fraser Valley, MacEwan, Mount Royal, UNBC, TRU, UBC-Okanagan.

Division 2: Alberta, Brandon, Calgary, Lethbridge, Manitoba, Regina, Saskatchewan, Trinity Western, UBC, Victoria, Winnipeg.

———

MEN’S SOCCER

Joe Rose in the air with Corey Wallis watching during a game last year vs UBCO (Devon Lindsay photo)

East Division: Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge, MacEwan, Mount Royal, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg.

West Division: Fraser Valley, TRU, Trinity Western, UBC, UBC-Okanagan, UNBC, Victoria.

———

WOMEN’S SOCCER

WolfPack soccer lining up before match at 2012 CCAA Nationals

East Division: Alberta, Calgary, Lethbridge, MacEwan, Manitoba, Mount Royal, Regina, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg.

West Division: Fraser Valley, TRU, Trinity Western, UBC, UBC-Okanagan, UNBC, Victoria.

The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will open their 2013-14 Canada West volleyball season against their closest geographical rival.

WolfPack parents (photo by Andrew Snucins)

The ‘Pack will be playing a home and home weekend series with the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat on October 25-26 th.   The Heat and WolfPack women will be squaring off Friday October 25 th at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops while the men’s squads will do the same in Kelowna. 

Jacob Tricarico with the kill (Allen Douglas photo)

The teams will switch venues for the following night (Oct 26).  Game time for both the women’s and the men’s home openers will be 7 pm.

Matt Krueger (right) and Philip Ozari (left) of WolfPack men’s team (Allen Douglas photo)

The WolfPack are hoping to make it back into the playoffs in both the men’s and women’s leagues this coming season.  Thompson Rivers, under the direction of Pat Hennelly, was in the playoff hunt in Canada West men’s volleyball until the final weeks of the season in 2012-13.  They finished tied for 8 th with a record of 8 and 14.  The WolfPack women’s program went through a major restructuring and failed to register in the win column in 22 starts.

Kristen Giesbrecht (photo by Allen Douglas)

Both teams return a number of players.

Jacob Tricarico (left) and Colin Carson (right) sign autographs

The WolfPack men will be led by three fifth year players—middle Jacob Tricarico (Huntington Beach, CA),  setter Colin Carson and libero Spencer Reed  (both Prince George, BC).

Philip Ozari (Andrew Snucins photo)

Returnees expected to be big contributors in 2013-14 include Brad Gunter (Courtenay, BC), who is spending the summer with Canada’s Junior national men’s team and Phil Ozari (Birkerod, Denmark), who is representing Denmark at the World U-20 championships.

WolfPack recruit Jordan Foot playing with his Prince George club team (photo submitted)

New recruits include Jordan Foot (Prince George, BC) and Tyler Pometarz (Kelowna, BC) who are both playing with Team BC U 17 squad this summer.

Morgan Kolasa (left) and Brianne Rauch (right)

The Thompson Rivers women’s program will be bolstered by the return of Morgan Kolasa (Calgary, AB) and Brianne Rauch (Kimberly, BC).  Both missed the entire 2012-13 Canada West season with injuries. 

Katarina Osadchuk (Allen Douglas photo)

Katarina Osadchuk (Brisbane, AUS) will return for her fourth season of CIS competition. She is currently playing for the Australian senior women’s volleyball team.

WolfPack recruit Gabby Fortin (photo submitted)

Coach Keith Lundgren has brought in libero Gabby Fortin (Coquitlam, BC ) and middle Kaitlin Lomas (Ponoka, AB).

WolfPack recruit Kaitlin Lomas (photo submitted)

Schools paying a visit to the Tournament Capital Centre this year aside from UBCO will be Calgary, Saskatchewan, Brandon, Trinity Western and Manitoba.

Jesse Bazergui (Allen Douglas photo)

The WolfPack are currently selling “All Access” Passes–$50.00 for adults and $20.00 for students until the end of August. You can pick up your tickets by coming to the WolfPack Athletics office on the second floor of the Tournament Capital Centre from 8:30-4 pm on week days.

Julia Niemczewska with the diving dig (Allen Douglas photo)

The WolfPack are also selling Volleyball seasons tickets–$40.00 for adults and $16.00 for students.  That is the same price for basketball seasons tickets.  Soccer seasons tickets are $ 20.00 for adults and $8.00 for students.

The WolfPack will release their soccer, badminton and golf schedules on Wednesday (June 12).

WolfPack men’s volleyball players Matt Krueger and Spencer Reed have been helping out with the Team BC U-16/U-17 Boys and Girls Baden Cup at the Tournament Capital Centre this week. Both are former Team BC players themselves. Krueger took a more active role and was at all the sessions and even took a team to coach in the intra-squad tournament. Here are some pictures from his team’s semi final win on Thursday (July 4) afternoon: