OLDS — For almost a year, the Olds College Broncos men’s volleyball team has known it would be hosting the 2024 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Men’s Volleyball Championship.
Now, the moment is upon them, with the Ralph Klein Centre ready and waiting to host the ACAC’s best from Feb. 22-24.
The winner will represent the ACAC at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Volleyball National Championship in Victoria, B.C. March 6-9.
However, the path for the Broncos to reach the three-day championship was far from linear, as the Broncos will make use of the host berth after narrowly missing out on a top-four placement in the ACAC South during the regular season.
“We wanted to earn our way into championships. In the end, we are getting in because we are hosting, which has us switched in mentality to defending our place,” said Broncos head coach Ryan Marsden.
“We have spent the greater part of the year trying to find the right combination amongst our players and have used every match to try to learn something and to get better.”
The field itself is unchanged from last season, as the Broncos will need to navigate seven other teams including the defending ACAC champion and CCAA bronze medalist Briercrest College Clippers, the Lakeland College Rustlers, the Lethbridge College Kodiaks, the NAIT Ooks, the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings, The King’s University Eagles, and the Keyano College Huskies.
The Broncos will face the Huskies in their opener for the second straight year, Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.
Knowing the depth of field, Marsden believes every team participating has a chance, and that home court advantage will be crucial for the Broncos.
“When all of our fans come out and watch, it creates an incredible atmosphere, truly giving us an advantage,” he said.
“Coming in as the host, we are not expected to win. We can take on a bit of an underdog’s mentality or a Cinderella story, if you will.”
The Broncos completed their regular season on home court against RDP on Saturday, and now their attention turns to the Huskies, the ACAC North’s top-ranked side.
The teams recently faced off in Fort McMurray, with Keyano College earning a four-set victory (25-15, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23) on Feb. 10.
With the matchup coming into place early on, Marsden noted the last few weeks have been about finding more on-court chemistry and developing a more complete team game.
“Keyano is a very good team again this year,” he said. “Last year, they ended our run, which stung, but being able to play them again in the first round, I wouldn't have it any other way. They respected us enough (on Feb. 10) that they played their main players, and so did we.”
This year’s Broncos squad features a number of returning faces, including fourth-year outsides Matheus Franca (Nova Lima, Brazil) and Aidyn Phillips (Bow Island, Alta.), along with third-year outside Reed Grusing (Bragg Creek) and libero Ben Gammel (West Kelowna, B.C.) forming the core, along with second-year setter Sean Vanderzee (Lethbridge) and middle Strahinja Lazarevic (Pozarevac, Serbia) coming into their own as key contributors.
From top to bottom, the Broncos are honoured and ready to fulfill hosting responsibilities, but on the court, it’s all business.
“Playing on our home court is such a great experience as a student-athlete,” Marsden said. “These guys are so proud to represent our Institution and the community of Olds.
“We hope that we make everyone proud. Our goal is to play our best as a team all at the same time. When this happens, anything is possible.”
- Geordie Carragher is a sports Information coordinator for Broncos Athletics.
