2007-08 Men's Volleyball Year in Review

Click here for audio interview with head coach Ben Josephson

The 2007-08 season was one of transition for the Trinity Western University Spartans men’s volleyball team. After winning the bronze medal at the 2007 CIS Nationals at McMaster University in Hamilton, the Spartans said goodbye to its program architect and head coach, and three players who each won four national medals in their Spartans careers.

Ron Pike retired after 14 seasons with the Spartans, eight at the CIS level, amassing a 273-183 record while winning four CIS National medals, including gold as the National Champion in 2006, a silver medal in 2005, and bronze in 2004 and 2007. Setter Josh Howatson (Victoria) was named the 2006 CIS Male Athlete of the Year, as well as the CIS and Canada West Male Volleyball Player of the Year, while outside hitters Jeff Stel (Abbotsford, B.C.), who is third in school history in kills (1044) and sixth in digs (517), and Seth Schalk (Red Deer, Alta.), who was third all-time in kills (876) and second in digs (666), were the most successful graduating class in the program’s history.

TWU promoted alum and former All-Canadian Ben Josephson as Pike’s successor. Josephson was a setter for Pike for five seasons from 1998-99 to 2002-03, and was his assistant coach from 2004-07. Josephson also had extensive coaching experience with the Fraser Valley Volleyball Club, Team BC, and was an assistant with the 2006 Canadian Men’s FISCU Games team in Turkey. In his first year at the helm of TWU, he guided the Spartans to an 8-10 record, good for seventh place and the final playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Canada West. The Spartans lost in the first round to 2007 National Champion Winnipeg Wesmen, who would go on to finish second at the 2008 CIS National Tournament in Laval, Quebec.

The Spartans had three more great fifth year players playing their final season at TWU, and they did not disappoint. Outside hitter Steve Rogalsky (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was named a Canada West second team all-star after leading TWU in kills with 284 (3.3 kills per game) and service aces with 34 (third best in the Canada West), and was third in blocks (55) and digs (107). Middle Doug Van Spronsen (Dawson Creek, B.C.) led the squad in total blocks with 87, set a school record with 25 solo blocks, and also had 1.67 kills per game, while libero Mark Lindemulder (Calgary) led in digs (185) and finished third in the Canada West with 2.18 digs per game.

The Spartans also had plenty of young talent to compliment their veterans. Second year middle Josh Doornenbal (Edmonton) was second on the team in solo blocks (17), total blocks (75), and service aces (23), and fourth in kills with 133 (1.55 K/G) with a team-best .297 attack percentage. Rookie left side Marc Howatson (Victoria), Josh’s younger brother, was second in kills with 166 (1.98 K/G) and digs with 110 (1.31 D/G), and was fourth with 16 service aces. Fourth year Chaim Schalk (Red Deer, Alta.), who is Seth’s younger brother, started the year at setter with 322 set assists, and in the second semester switched full time to the right side. Rookie setter Ben Ball (Abbotsford, B.C.) totaled 541 set assists (7.51 Assists per game) while starting 13 matches.

TWU began the season ranked sixth in the country, and opened the Canada West season at home with consecutive 3-1 victories over the Saskatchewan Huskies. In the two matches Rogalsky racked up 26 kills while Van Spronsen recorded 18 kills and 10 total blocks. As a setter Schalk had four solo blocks in the Friday night victory, which tied for the third highest single match total in school history.

The surprising Brandon Bobcats, who though losing had pushed the top-ranked Alberta Golden Bears to five sets in their first two matches, were the next visitors to TWU’s David E. Enarson Gymnasium. The Spartans rolled 3-0 in the first match getting 12 kills, three solo blocks, and two aces from Rogalsky, and six kills on seven swings from Doornenbal to go along with three solo blocks and three aces of his own. Brandon got revenge the second night with a 3-0 win of their own as the Bobcat’s first team Canada West all-star Paul Sanderson (Melboune, Austrailia) went off with 14 kills on 22 swings and three service aces.

Next up for TWU was two games in Kamloops, B.C. against the eighth ranked squad in the country the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack. The first match went to the Spartans 3-1 as Rogalsky broke his own record for attack attempts in a four set match with 53 as he recorded 11 kills, nine blocks, six digs and two aces. Chaim’s younger brother Mikiah,Schalk (Red Deer, Alta.), a second year transfer from King’s College in Edmonton, also had a strong match for TWU with 10 kills on 17 attacks, and added three service aces and five digs. The Wolpack responded with a 3-0 victory the next night, led by second team all-conference outside hitter Robin Schoebel (Monaco, Monaco), who finished with 15 kills.

The Spartans finished up their first semester schedule in Winnipeg with two matches against the 2007 CIS National Champion Wesmen. TWU lost the first night 3-1 despite 14 kills from Mikiah Schalk and 11 from Rogalsky, and they could not solve the Wesmen in the second match as Canada West Player of the Year Ben Schellenberg (Winnipeg) led the Wesmen to a 3-0 victory with 14 kills and 12 digs. TWU hit the halfway point ranked eighth in the country with a 4-4 record.

The city of Winnipeg was no kinder to the Spartans in the new year as TWU opened January on the road against the Manitoba Bisons, losing there 3-0 and 3-1. In the four set loss Rogalsky had 29 kills, second most in a match in school history, while Van Spronsen tied a school record with five solo blocks. The Spartans returned home the next weekend for a two match series with the Regina Cougars, and put a halt to their five match conference losing streak with a 3-1 victory. Rogalsky again led the way with 16 kills and three aces, while Howatson notched 11 kills, three aces, and 12 digs. Chaim Schalk made a seamless transition to the right side, as he racked up 12 kills and made seven digs. The Spartans made quick work of the Cougars the second night with a 3-0 win, hitting .311 as a team and out-blocking Regina 18-9. Howatson led with 13 kills, Rogalsky had 12, and Lindemulder had a team-high nine digs.

In the thick of the playoff race that had eight teams gunning for seven spots, TWU took their final regular season road trip to face the Calgary Dinos, who won the first match handily 3-0. With their last four matches against third ranked UBC and No. 1 Alberta, the Spartans faced a virtual must-win in the second match on a Sunday afternoon against Calgary. The Dinos jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Spartans roared back to take the third set 26-24, and the fourth 28-26 to force the decisive fifth frame. The Spartans big block, which was second best in the conference, went to work with five blocks, and forced two Dinos attack errors in the set, as the Spartans won 15-10. First year middle Rudy Verhoeff (Calgary) led the Spartan block party in his native city with four solo and six assisted stuff blocks. Howatson led in kills with 13, and also had nine digs and five total blocks while Chaim Schalk had 10 kills, seven digs, and five assist blocks from the right side.

With their playoff chances resuscitated, the Spartans returned home to face their rivals, the third ranked UBC Thunderbirds, for an epic weekend series. Just as things had unfolded for TWU in their last match with Calgary, it was the Spartans who would take a commanding 2-0 lead in the first match only to see UBC storm back to win in five grueling sets. The three Spartan seniors were brilliant in defeat as Rogalsky and Van Spronsen had 17 kills apiece, and Lindemulder had a match-high 12 digs. Rogalsky also smoked seven aces but it was not enough. With the David E. to themselves Saturday night the Spartans took centre stage and put on a show, securing a playoff berth in a five set battle. The three seniors were just as heroic, as Rogalsky had 13 kills, five aces, and seven digs, Van Spronsen finished with nine kills and four blocks, two of them solos, and Lindemulder was everywhere as he strapped on a match-high 15 kills.

Heading into the final weekend at 8-8, the Spartans looked to improve their playoff positioning as they hosted the top-ranked Alberta Golden Bears. The Bears won 3-1 the first night despite a match-high 14 kills from Rogalsky, and dispatched the Spartans 3-0 on Senior Night, dropping TWU to seventh spot in the Canada West at 8-10, which meant a first round matchup with second-ranked Winnipeg.

Like King Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors, the Spartans men’s volleyball team marched out to Winnipeg facing similarly long odds against the Wesmen in their first round Canada West playoff series. Though the Spartans fought as hard as the ancient Spartan warriors, the Wesmen prevailed in straight sets in both matches, knocking TWU out of the playoffs on their way to a second place finish at the CIS Nationals at Laval. For TWU the losses meant the end of a great career for Lindemulder, Rogalsky, and Van Spronsen, and like the three seniors who graduated before them the previous season, these three would also leave Trinity Western having won four national medals, including gold as the 2006 National Champions.

Rogalsky graduates with TWU career records for kills (1574), kills per game (3.14), attack attempts (3599), points (1952.5), games played (501) and matches played (142). He also hold the school single season records for kills (413-2004), and attack attempts (919-2004), and has the match records for attack attempts (61-Alberta, Mar. 6, 2005), and service aces (13-Winnipeg, Jan. 24, 2004). Van Spronsen finishes second all-time in blocks per game (1.06), fourth in total blocks (326), and eighth in kills (573). Lindemulder finishes with a 1.80 digs per game average in 200 games, the second best average in school history.

Despite these key losses, the Spartans return a ton of young talent for the 2008-09 season. Coach Josephson recently announced the addition of three more players as his recruiting class of 2008 in outside hitter Steve Marshall (Abbotsford, B.C.), left side/libero Jarrod Offereins (Calgary), and middle Daniel Jansen Van Doorn (Langley, B.C.). The 6’3” Marshall, who was high school teammates with Ball, is a transfer from Douglas College where he was named a BCCAA second team all-star. Offereins is also 6’3” and will also will be rejoining high school teammates at TWU, where he will again get to play with Verhoeff and left side Paul Lindemulder (Calgary). His Calgary Christian high school team won the “AA’ Alberta provincials for the second straight season. While the 6’8” Jansen Van Doorn won’t see any former teammates at TWU, he will see plenty of his two older sisters, Dayna and Kara, who play for the women’s volleyball team. His Langley Christian high team finished second at the B.C. provincials this past season, where he was named a B.C. high school provincial all-star.

-TW-

Last Updated: 2008-05-07
Author: Jeff Kilpatrick
Email: Jeffrey.Kilpatrick@twu.ca