Alberta’s Walsh named Canada West Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year
Canada West Communications
NEW WESTMINSTER – Fourth-year setter Brett Walsh from the University of Alberta Golden Bears is the 2015-16 Canada West Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year, as announced Thursday.
Walsh averaged a conference-best 11.76 assists per set this season for the Bears, who went 23-1 during the course of the regular season, and are set to host this weekend’s Final Four in Edmonton.
Last season the Business student became the first player in Canada West history to record 1,000 assists or more in a single season and followed that total up with 964 assists this season.
Along with Walsh, Saskatchewan’s CJ Gavlas (Rookie of the Year), Calgary’s Rod Durrant (Coach of the Year) and Saskatchewan’s Robert Graham (Student-Athlete of the Year) also took home conference awards.
All four award winners will now move on as the Canada West nominees for the CIS national awards, which will be handed out at the national championship at McMaster March 10-12.
Player of the Year
Brett Walsh
Setter
4th-year
University of Alberta Golden Bears
After becoming the first player in Canada West history to top the 1,000 assists mark in 2014-15, Walsh was even better this season, finishing first in the conference in assists per set (11.76). That total was tops in the nation and even higher than his 2014-15 mark of 10.97 per set.
To put Walsh’s excellence into perspective, the Calgary native would’ve topped his own single season record for assists (1,031) if the Bears would’ve played just six more sets this season.
“It has been a pleasure watching Brett grow as a volleyball player and person the last four seasons. He is a very focused and driven young man and his desire to compete is exceptional. I am so happy for him that his hard work and dedication to the game have gained him the respect of the coaches in our league,” Golden Bears head coach Terry Danyluk said of Walsh.
Rookie of the Year
CJ Gavlas
Setter
University of Saskatchewan Huskies
In his first season with the Huskies, Gavlas made an immediate impact, finishing fourth in the conference in assists per set (9.25).
The Saskatoon, Sask. native wasn’t expected to play a key role for the Huskies this early in his Canada West career, but after being thrown into action in place of starting setter Troy Wiebe – who injured his ankle early in the season – Gavlas made the most of his opportunity and helped the Huskies to a 15-9 regular season mark.
“From a statistics perspective, he is second in blocks per set, second in points per set, third in service aces per set, and fourth in assists per set among pure setters in Canada West. These are truly remarkable stats in our conference for a first-year setter.”
Coach of the Year
Rod Durrant
University of Calgary Dinos
Rod Durrant’s 10th season at the helm of the Calgary Dinos will go down as one to remember for the veteran coach, who earns his second conference coach of the year award after guiding Calgary to an 18-6 regular season mark.
2015-16 was the most successful regular season to date in Calgary under Durrant, as this year’s edition surpassed the 2010-11 program record for most wins in a single season (16-2).
Since taking over the Dinos in 2006, Durrant has posted a 113-89 record in Canada West play and an 18-16 postseason record, winning the CIS championship in 2010 and a Canada West title in 2011. He has guided the Dinos to four CIS championship appearances during his tenure.
“Rod is well-deserving of this award after an outstanding season,” said University of Calgary athletic director Christine Stapleton. “He created a culture that inspired his team to achieve a consistent performance level in the most competitive conference in the country, and we congratulate him on this honour.”
Student-Athlete of the Year - nominee for the CIS Dale Iwanoczko Award
Robert Graham
Middle
5th-year
University of Saskatchewan Huskies
Veteran Saskatchewan middle Robert Graham is the Student-Athlete of the Year after posting another impressive season on the court and off.
Diagnosed as a child with high-functioning autism, Graham is a four-time CIS All-Canadian and has worked tirelessly in the classroom to pursue his goal of becoming a teacher.
The Saskatoon native has spent a significant amount of time this year volunteering as a student teacher to hone his skills, paying a particular focus on working with special needs students.
Graham’s commitment to the sport has been acknowledged by the Huskies on multiple occasions, as the middle is a two-time winner of the Most Dogged Dog Award, which is presented annually to the player who typifies the true spirit of sport with his relentless pursuit of excellence through diligence and determination.
“Robbie is truly remarkable with his accomplishments – athletically and academically.
During his time with the Huskies, he continually improved his off-season training. His daily training level and intensity has been unmatched by anyone during my years as a coach,” said head coach Brian Gavlas.
“Robbie is the essence of what our Most Dogged Dog Award is about and deserving of the Dale Iwanoczko nomination as well.”
Men’s Final Four – hosted by the University of Alberta
Friday, March 4
Saskatchewan (3) vs. Manitoba (2) / 3:00 PM MST / CW Final Four semifinal 1
TWU (4) vs. Alberta (1) / 6:00 PM MST / CW Final Four semifinal 2
Saturday, March 5
Loser semifinal 1 vs. Loser semifinal 2 / 3:00 PM MST / CW bronze medal game
Winner semifinal 1 vs. Winner semifinal 2 / 6:00 PM MST / CW championship game
All Final Four games can be seen live on Canadawest.tv
About Canada West Championships:
Canada West Universities Athletic Association is the premier university athletic conference in the Canada, awarding a total of 19 conference championships annually in 11 different sports. With 17 members stretching from British Columbia to Manitoba, the conference is home to champion student-athletes that excel on the field, in the classroom, and in their communities.
The 2016 Canada West Volleyball Final Four is proudly sponsored by Mikasa Sports Canada. Since 1997, Mikasa Sports Canada, through Catsports Inc., has distributed quality products to better satisfy the demand of Canadian athletes and is the official ball supplier for Canada West volleyball.