LANGLEY, B.C. – Some of the best men’s volleyball programs in Canada will be in Langley over the Christmas break, Dec. 28-31, to compete in the Volleyball Showcase, with Trinity Western set to compete against UBC, Alberta and Laval at the Langley Events Centre.
The Volleyball Showcase features four of Canada’s most traditional volleyball powers, with the Langley-bound quartet being the only teams who have won a national title in the last nine years. Since 2010, the U SPORTS championship has been won by TWU five times (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2019), while Alberta won twice (2014 and 2015) and UBC (2018) and Laval (2013) won once each.
The tournament also features three teams currently in the U SPORTS Top 10, with the Spartans ranked No.1, Alberta No. 2 and Laval No. 7.
The tournament is a round robin format with the top two teams playing in the gold medal match and the third and fourth place teams vying for bronze.
TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
SCHEDULE
Dec. 28 – TWU vs. UBC – 7:30 p.m. (PT)
Dec. 29 – TWU vs. Laval – 5 p.m. (PT)
Dec. 30 – TWU vs. Alberta – 7:30 p.m. (PT)
Dec. 31 – Gold Medal Match – 4 p.m. PT / Bronze Medal Match – 2 p.m. PT
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The event includes a meeting between the top two teams in the country and the only undefeated teams in Canada West, with TWU (6-0) and Alberta (8-0) seeing each other in a year in which they don’t face each other during the regular season. The Spartans and Golden Bears did meet twice in the preseason with TWU winning 3-0 and 3-1.
The chance for the Spartans to play Laval provides a unique opportunity to take on the RSEQ-based Rouge et Or. In nine previous meetings, TWU owns an 8-1 record against Laval, including a perfect 5-0 record at the national championship tournament. The last time, TWU played against the Rouge et Or was in the 2019 U SPORTS Championship semifinals, when the Spartans won an epic five-setter in Quebec City.
The crosstown rivalry between the Spartans and Thunderbirds will also be renewed as the teams see each other to open the tournament. In their two regular season matches in November, TWU won 3-0 and 3-1 on home court. UBC is 3-3 in Canada West this season.
TWU owns a 25-4 overall record this season, with 15-0 mark against U SPORTS competition.
The Spartans overall record includes a 6-0 record in the CW regular season, a 9-0 mark in preseason against CW competition, a 5-2 record in a series of games against top-ranked NCAA Div. I teams in California and a 5-2 record when representing Canada at the Pan-American Cup.
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women’s rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men’s rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.
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