Jefferson Hagen / MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Fresh off their best performance of the season in a 3-2 win over reigning Canada West runners-up Manitoba last Saturday, the MacEwan Griffins men's volleyball players are smiling a little bigger this week.
There's no doubt a confidence lift has coursed through the team after they picked up their first victory of the season to stop a seven-game losing streak.
Head coach Brad Poplawski has been impressed, though, that his players' approach to practice has remained the same.
"I don't think I've seen anything different," he said. "Regardless of result, we know Monday it's back to work. I think maybe there's just a little more trust and belief that what they're doing is good enough because sometimes that doubt can creep in.
"I think guys have approached training the right way in that they want to get better and they have goals for each training session."
And they'll need to continue to lean on the process heading into arguably their toughest road trip of the season – a visit to Vancouver to face UBC on Friday (2:30 p.m. MT) and Saturday (7:30 p.m. MT, both on Canada West TV).
The veteran-laden Thunderbirds are returning pretty much the same roster that lost in the bronze medal match at the USPORTS national championship last March.
Among five fifth years is one of the most dynamic players in the country – Irvan Brar (third in Canada West with 3.94 kills per set). Reigning Canada West second team all-star setter Byron Keturakis, one of three fourth-year players on the Thunderbirds, is currently second in the conference with 9.91 assists per set.
The 7-1 Thunderbirds are ranked second in USPORTS, behind only defending national champion Trinity Western (7-1) – MacEwan's next opponent (Dec. 1-2 at home in the Atkinson Gym).
Poplawski and his team are eager for the challenge of facing UBC this weekend and the gauntlet that lies ahead before the Christmas break.
"They're big, they're physical," he said of UBC. "They serve really tough. They block well. They're well coached. They check every box. They're going to find a lot of different ways to stress us. I think it's an awesome opportunity and I hope the guys do, too. It's a chance to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the nation.
"You have to make sure you have a good week of training. When you play a team like that your focus has to be there for 100 per cent of the time, as well as your execution," he added. "I think that's our goal for this week is just to make sure we are healthy physically, well prepared as far as our tendencies and then just to play hard."
The 1-7 Griffins enter the weekend with some positives. Freshman Ryan Zachary just set a new record for the most kills in a Canada West match by a Griffins rookie with 23 against Manitoba on Saturday and leads MacEwan with 83 kills on the season. And middle Max Vriend set a new school record for blocks in a Canada West match with 12 last Saturday. He leads the Griffins with 31 blocks and 1.29 per set (second in the conference).
Now the challenge will be to maintain that level.
"I don't know if the momentum carries week to week like that," said Poplawski. "It's more hopefully they have some confidence that they can play at a high level."
