McKay, Mamer, Musschoot Finish Eleventh with Team Canada at U21 World Championship

It has been a busy summer for Sean McKay, head coach of the Huskie men’s volleyball team. Joining Volleyball Canada’s staff as an assistant coach for the U21 men’s national team, McKay helped lead the team to an eleventh-place finish at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship in Manama, Bahrain.  
 
Canada had a difficult preliminary pool, losing to Bulgaria and Poland in its opening matches. Victories over India, Tunisia and Bahrain had Canada in a good spot, but the team lost the chance to play for a higher ranking when the team fell to Egypt in the 9-12 playoff round.

In addition to the world championship, Team Canada participated in the NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup in Havana, Cuba in June, placing third overall for a bronze medal. 

“Representing my country and coaching at this level was an incredibly rewarding experience for me,” said McKay when asked about his experience. “Getting to see the different style of volleyball played around the world was an opportunity I wouldn’t have gotten here on home soil. I’m looking forward to taking what I have learned and incorporating it into our Huskie Volleyball program this season”

The experience was made more special by the addition of Huskie rookies Isaiah Mamer and Lucas Musschoot. 

“Isaiah and Lucas both played very important roles within the team,” said McKay. “Isaiah as a high skill stabilization piece and Lucas as one of the starting middle blockers. Playing with some of the best athletes their age in the world will go a long way when they take a bigger role for the Huskies next year. I think most importantly was the time spent training in Ottawa. These extra hours in the gym will no doubt help them during the Canada West season next year.”

The remainder of the summer will be spent developing Future Huskie volleyball stars as the men’s volleyball team leads the Future Huskie Summer Camps through July and August. 

The Huskie men’s volleyball team will open the 2023-24 season at home at the PAC on October 20 & 21 against the Brandon Bobcats. Full schedule and ticket information is available at www.huskies.usask.ca.