MEN’S VOLLEYBALL OFF TO QATAR FOR CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Rudy Verhoeff

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (PRESEASON)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011
FIVB CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL OFF TO QATAR FOR CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP



LANGLEY, British Columbia – For the Trinity Western men’s volleyball team, this next week might just feel like a dream.

The defending CIS champions from Langley arrived in Doha, Qatar today as they prepare to represent Canada at the eight-team FIVB Club Championships set for October 8-14. And let's just say this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Once the games begin, the Spartans will be playing against the very best volleyball players in the world as the best club teams from around the globe will be in Qatar to keep for world supremacy.

Canada is in pool A with clubs from Poland, Russia and Iran. Pool B clubs are from Italy, Egypt, Brazil and Qatar.

Italy’s Trentino BetClic’s, which includes Canadian national team member Steve Brinkman of Bowmanville, Ont., is the two-time defending champion.  

In round robin play, the Canadians face Russia’s Zenit Kazan, the number-two pro club in the world, on October 8 (12:00 a.m. PDT), Iran on October 10 (5:00 a.m. PDT) and Poland on October 11 (7:00 a.m. PDT). The top two teams in each pool after the round robin cross over in the semifinals on October 13. The medal matches are on October 14.

‘’Now, we are going to be able to give our players a visual of what it takes to be a great international player, not just a great CIS player,’’ said Spartans head coach Ben Josephson. “We’ve seen these players on YouTube. We’ve watched their World League and Champions League games. We know their names. We know their stats but until we see them live, I don’ think there’s really any way to prepare for this.”

The Spartans squad includes fifth year Rudy Verhoeff of Calgary who was named the CIS Championships tournament MVP last season and was a second All Canadian team member. Setter Ben Ball of Abbotsford, B.C., was named to the CIS Championships All Star team.

Also on the squad are world junior team members Lucas Van Berkel of Edmonton, Branden Schmidt of Winton, Alta., Brad Kufske of Abbotsford and Derek Thiessen of Coquitlam, B.C., and World University Games team members Verhoeff and Marc Howatson of Victoria.

The Spartans are participating as the representative team from North and Central America and Caribbean (NORCECA) zone. Canada had the berth opportunity from a rotation process because NORCECA does not currently have a Club Championship. Last year a team from the U.S. competed in the men's competition and the year before it was a team from Puerto Rico.

For more information: http://www.fivb.org/en/volleyball/Competitions/WorldClubChampionships/2011/Men/

-TW-

Last Updated: 2011-10-06
Author: Mark Janzen