The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will put the capper on a frustrating start to the 2019-20 Canada West men’s volleyball season this weekend. The WolfPack will play games three and four of a six match match road trip when they pay a visit to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. The teams will play Friday and Saturday (Nov 29-30).
Thompson Rivers enters the final weekend of the first half of the year at 1-7 following back to back defeats at UBC. The Huskies are 5-5 despite being swept by the Trinity Western University Spartans in Langley.
Saskatchewan is 2-2 at home while the WolfPack are winless in four starts on the road.
The teams split last season when they tangled at the old TRU Gym. Both were four set affairs with the ‘Pack taking the first night.
The Huskies are led again this year by third year outside hitter Dylan Mortenson (Swift Current, Saskatchewan). Mortenson is tied for second in Canada West in kills (130) and fifth in kills per set (3.42).
The WolfPack have two players among the statistical leaders in Canada West. Libero Landon Currie (3rd year, Vernon, BC) is fourth in digs (64) and fifth in digs per set (2.13). Sam Taylor Parks (5th year, middle, Kelowna, BC) is tied for fourth in blocks per set (0.97).
Charlie Bringloe (5th year, outside hitter, Waterloo, ON) leads the wolfPack in kills with 90 and service aces with 24. Anton Napolitano (4th year, setter, Victoria, AUS) leads with 246 assists, is second in service aces with 12 and in digs (61). Currie leads with 64 digs. Taylor Parks leads in blocks with 29 total—nine ahead of Napolitano.
They also have a new head coach in Sean McKay who took over from former WolfPack assistant coach Nathan Bennett, who has moved to the University of the Fraser Valley as they get set to enter Canada West play in 2020-21.
When the schedule resumes in 2020, the WolfPack will close out their road adventure with a stop over in Winnipeg, Manitoba to take on the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. They don’t have a home match at the Tournament Capital Centre until Friday, January 10, 2020 when the University of Manitoba Bisons venture into Kamloops.
All of the above games can been seen on a pay per view basis on Canada West TV presented by Co-op by accessing: https://cw.yaretv.com/. Results will be available on the WolfPack social media platforms and their website www.goWolfPack.ca.
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK HEAD COACH PAT HENNELLY:
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1199862200896122881
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK OUTSIDE HITTER CHARLIE BRINGLOE (5th year, Waterloo, ON):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1199860911546101760
[SOURCE: Thompson Rivers University]