The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s volleyball team has a busy weekend ahead as they launch their 2016 exhibition campaign.
Under the direction of Interim head coach Mike Hawkins, The WolfPack are heading to the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley for two exhibition matches and two scrimmages in three days.
It begins Thursday (Sept 22) when the ‘Pack visit the Thunderbirds at the University of British Columbia for a scrimmage.
“We are just looking to see how the work we have put in so far is paying off,” said Hawkins. “Myself and coach Krueger (another former TRU player Matt) have installed some systems (offensive and defensive). Expecially with our first opponents, we aren’t looking at the outcome as important as how the systems look in a game form.”
Hawkins says the players have been quick to adapt to the new systems. “They aren’t significantly different from what they are used to under Pat (Hennelly, TRU’s head coach who is on sabbatical). I just have a different way of framing things and different cues. For the most part, the guys are really open. They understand the situation they are in and that I am in. They are open to learning new things which is speeding the process along. I think if they were fighting things it would have been a lot more difficult.”
The coach says for the most part, the veterans came into camp in shape.
Hawkins says everyone on the roster will see court time this weekend as the coaching staff evaluates the talent.
TRU will have only one fifth year player in 2016-17: Daniel Eikland Rod (Oz, Norway).
The ‘Pack will face UBC again Friday afternoon at Vancouver Tech Secondary School in a scrimmage situation and then meet up with the Trinity Western University Spartans at Terry Fox Secondary in the evening. Saturday (Sept 24), the Spartans and Pack play at Krueger’s alma mater: MEI in Clearbrook, BC. Those two will be official exhibition matches.
TRU will play exhibition tournaments at UBCO and at the University of Calgary before they open the Canada West regular season on Friday, October 28 th on the Warner Rentals Court against the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Game time at the Tournament Capital Centre will be 7:45 pm.
SIDE OUTS: The WolfPack spent last weekend in the Cariboo and in Prince George where they held an intra-squad game. Team Black beat Team White 2-1 (25-16,22-25,25-22). The game was organized by longtime WolfPack supporter Dan Drezet, whose daughter Hali is a rookie member of the WolfPack women’s squad.
While white water rafting on the Fraser River, the WolfPack came to the aid of another raft which had capsized (in Class 4 rapids). Every member of that raft was thrown into the water but the WolfPack came to their aid. As Hawkins described it: “It was legitimately a life or death situation, given the section of the river. Our two boats jumped into action to help rescue the other rafters. In what was a chaotic and high adrenaline situation, our guys worked incredibly well together to help save the other individuals.”