Red Deer College is set to host the 2016-17 ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship starting tomorrow and, leading up to the event, four Kings Volleyball players have been recognized for their outstanding play this season.

Luke Brisbane, Regan Fathers, Ty Moorman and Michael Sumner were all named to the ACAC South All-Conference Team, awards they received at this morning’s 2016-17 ACAC Men’s Volleyball Award Presentations. The awards are determined by voting from the opposing coaches in the ACAC. “It’s always nice to see our student-athletes progress and continue to be well-respected by their peers and coaches within our conference,” says Aaron Schulha, Kings Volleyball Head Coach.

Luke Brisbane, who is in the Bachelor of Commerce program, “has been one of the best setters in the country since coming to us three years ago,” says Schulha. “He had to battle through an injury this year that saw him miss a great deal of time, but he came back midway through the second half and his been playing well since his return. The combination of his size and athleticism, ability to the run the offence, effective serve and defensive presence are all attributes that make him a great college setter.”

Kinesiology & Sport Studies student, Regan Fathers, moved from the left side to the right side this year and has thrived in his new position. “He leads the ACAC South in kills and has been relied upon heavily all year long. Simply put, he is a game-changer,” Schulha says.

Third year Open Studies student, Ty Moorman, has excelled this year in both offense and defense. “He is an imposing young man who is extremely athletic,” explains Schulha, “and he can change what opponents are doing offensively and defensively to have to account for him.”

Michael Sumner, a second-year student in the Bachelor of Commerce program, has started every match during his two years with the Kings. “Mike has been outstanding for us since he got here in fall 2015,” says Schulha. “He has been our most consistent performer this season and has solidified himself as the best liberal in our conference.”

While Schulha and his team are celebrating the accomplishments of these players, they are also looking ahead and striving for team success at the upcoming championship. “It has been an odd year with some significant injuries and inconsistencies, but we’re playing some pretty high-level volleyball right now, so I’m excited going into Conference Championships.”

Hosting the event is a privilege for Kings Volleyball and RDC. “We’re always honoured to host championship events,” says Diane St-Denis. “It’s very positive for students, young athletes and the community to support our teams and be part of such high-level competition.” St-Denis adds that RDC has a strong history of hosting ACAC Championships and, looking to the future, the facilities will be in place to host national-level events “We’ll begin using the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in the fall of 2018, and our Kings and Queens teams will begin training and competing in this state-of-the-art facility,” she says. “We’re excited for the opportunities this will bring, and we’re currently putting the final touches on a bid proposal to host the 2019 CCAA Championships.”

While pursuing these exciting possibilities for the future, St-Denis, Schulha and the Kings Volleyball players will focus on a closer goal this weekend, as they head into the ACAC Championship. “We’re very much looking forward to competing in our own gym this weekend against some very tough competition,” Schulha says. “Hopefully we can pack the place for our matches and receive significant support from the central Alberta community as we try to defend our ACAC and CCAA crowns.”

(Photo courtesy of Tony Hansen)