2023-24 was a strong building season for the York University Lions men’s volleyball team under first year head coach Jordan Taylor, the program’s third head coach in three years.
Last season was about education, growth, both as individuals and as a program. While a 6-14 record may not jump off the table, Taylor believes those goals were achieved.
“Last year was a culture-building year,” he said. “My job was to educate them on what true high-performance sport was, and the athletes have taken those lessons in stride and implemented them phenomenally, so we’re going to rely a lot on those building blocks.
Now, a year into the Taylor era, the team enters 2024-25 with its sights set on returning to the playoffs – and maybe more.
“We need to return to the playoffs. We need to get some playoff experience,” Taylor said. “I think this team can beat anyone – I truly do. I think the sky is the limit for this group. We’re going to surprise a lot of teams, we’re going to make a lot of noise this year.”
The Lions have a strong nucleus of veteran players stepping into their third and fourth years, including the likes of Dennis Cota, Alex Dorling and Alex Ko. Taylor also pointed out 24-year-old veteran Robert Kemp as someone who will provide key experience to the group despite entering just his second year of eligibility.
“He’s our emotional leader,” Taylor said of Dorling. “He’s been here through thick and thin and has been an important cog for this program dating back several years now.
“Robert is coming off winning a senior beach national championship, he’s playing internationally and he’s going to make a push to go to the Olympics over the next decade, so we’re going to rely on that age and experience as a starting libero.
“(Ko) had a phenomenal developmental year last year transitioning from libero to the outside,” Taylor continued. “He’s had another big jump in the off-season and came into this season in phenomenal shape. We expect Alex to be a leading force offensively for us this year.”
The Lions brought in seven new recruits this summer, with four of them at or over 6’6, and five being outside hitters. This was a conscious effort by Taylor and his staff to get bigger and more physical.
“It was targeted,” he said. “We have a phenomenal middle core, and we really like our setting core as well, but we knew we needed to make some upgrades at the outside hitter position in terms of talent and physicality, and we think we addressed that with the recruits we brought in.”
Namely, Chris Hoffman has made an immediate impact. The local product – one of the outside hitters – doesn’t turn 18 until Nov. 18, but has been turning heads in the preseason.
“He’s going to be an important piece for us,” said Taylor. “He’s going to have a fantastic rookie campaign, and he’s one to watch.”
Additionally, another first year Lion into the fold is Nathan Luken. While he’s new to the U SPORTS level, he’s no stranger to post-secondary volleyball, having played at three years at Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Alta.
“He’s incredibly athletic,” Taylor said of the Calgary native. “He’ll be a starter for us this year and is going to have to carry some offensive load, and those athletic talents will be on full display each and every night.”
The Lions also brought in Bodhi Jones from Kauai, Hawaii. They expect the 6’10 Jones to be an important part of the Lions core in future years.
“He’s got tremendous long-term potential,” Taylor said of the Hawaiian. “It’s a good opportunity for him to come in in a low-stress situation, learn from senior players and develop the right way in the weight room and on the court.
“We expect him to be a force in the OUA in a few years.”
While Taylor has an eye on winning conference and national titles in the next few years, he understands there’s more to running a university volleyball program than record, and didn’t hesitate when asked what success looks like outside of wins and losses.
“Our impact on the community,” he said. “A big thing for us is expanding our reach in the GTA, and I think there’s a big opportunity for us to expand our brand, expand our reach and expand our influence.”
A big piece of that is being role models for the next generation of players. New Lions assistant coach Jessy Satti runs Pakmen Volleyball Club out of Mississauga, Canada’s largest volleyball club.
“As Canada’s most diverse volleyball club, that really aligns with the values of York.,” Taylor said. “Building that relationship with Pakmen is a great opportunity for our players to get into young teams’ gyms and continue to be role models in our community and inspire the next generation.”
Taylor’s Lions open the 2024-25 schedule Friday night in the first of two matches against the Trent Excalibur. Friday night’s game begins at 8:00 pm, with Saturday’s rematch getting under way at 6:00 pm.
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