Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – After an emotional pre-game ceremony to honour the memory of Thompson Rivers men's volleyball player Owyn McInnis, who was killed in a multi-vehicle accident in November, the WolfPack hit the court for their first home action since the tragedy.
They went on to a 3-0 win over the MacEwan Griffins (25-17, 25-18, 25-17) in Canada West action.
"I can't imagine what they're going through," said MacEwan head coach Brad Poplawski. "I had a quick chat with their head coach before the game and just said 'my heart goes out to you and your team.' Obviously, you could tell it's been really tough on him and the team.
"I thought our captains (spearheading us wearing) the orange laces was really well received. I had a couple people come up and say, 'thanks for doing that.' I thought it was a nice show of respect by our leadership group to do that."
Emotions were also churning in a different way for the Griffins, who were starting a largely unproven lineup with top players Mitchel Gorman, Jonah Karsten and Daylan Andison sidelined.
Mason Moore and Sawyer Cousins made their first U SPORTS starts. Cousins, who hails from Kamloops, had a sizable cheering section of family and friends.
"He played very well," said Poplawski. "I was really impressed with him as a first year who hasn't really been on the court this year to start and play a full match.
"You could just see his confidence continue to grow as the game went on. He got a nice ace. It was definitely a nice memory for him to have his first U SPORTS start in his hometown. He did some really nice things for us."
Cousins finished with three kills, an ace and two digs. MacEwan was led by Nicholas Jabusch, who had seven kills, while Moore had six kills on nine attempts in his debut start.
TRU was led by Sam Flowerday, who produced 16 kills and accounted for a match-high 18.0 points.
"As we battle through injuries and adversity here, it has opened up an opportunity for other guys," said Poplawski. "A lot of guys were nervous tonight at the start. And nerves are good. You should be nervous; if you care, you should have nerves. It's just what you do with them.
"It's still volleyball, the net's eight feet, the court's nine by nine. It's not ignoring your nerves but using them in a positive way."
With the result, the Griffins drop to 0-15 on the season, while TRU improves to 6-7. The teams will meet again on Saturday (5:45 p.m. MT, Canada West TV).
Poplawski is aiming for his group to clean a few things up.
"Our serve-pass game has to be tidier," he said. "That's a lineup that hasn't really been together a lot, so just getting familiarity with each other (is key). You could see a few times, there was a little uncertainty on certain balls.
"The speed of the game at this level is so fast. We make an action and sometimes we just get caught spectating a little. That's game experience and for a lot of guys who haven't played a lot that's to be expected. But I think we have to move on to what's next quicker within the same rally."
