U Sports men's volleyball

U Sports men's volleyball is the highest level of amateur play of men's indoor volleyball in Canada and operates under the auspices of U Sports (formerly Canadian Interuniversity Sport). Thirty-one teams from Canadian universities are divided into three athletic conferences, drawing from the three of the four regional associations of U Sports: Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CW), Ontario University Athletics (OUA), and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). The Atlantic University Sport (AUS) formerly featured men's volleyball as a U Sports championship sport, but it was removed following the 2017–18 season. The 31 participating teams compete in a regular season and following intra-conference playoffs, eight teams are selected to play in a national tournament to compete for the U Sports men's volleyball championship.

U Sports men's volleyball
FormerlyCIAU Volleyball
CIS Volleyball
SportVolleyball
Founded1966
No. of teams31, in four conferences
CountryCanada
Most recent
champion(s)		Trinity Western Spartans (2019)
Most titlesManitoba Bisons (10)
Winnipeg Wesmen (10)[1]
Related
competitions		U Sports Volleyball Championship
Official websiteusports.ca/en/sports/volleyball/m

Brief history

Men's university volleyball can be traced back to the 1950s when teams like the Alberta Golden Bears would play organized matches against other schools in the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WCIAA).[2][3] The Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association (AIAA) first awarded a conference championship in men's volleyball in 1961 with the Acadia Axemen being the conference's first dominant presence.[4][5] The Ontario-Quebec Athletic Association (O-QAA) first awarded a conference title to the Toronto Varsity Blues which came in the 1965–66 season.[6][7]

The CIAU organized the first national championship tournament which was held in Calgary, Alberta in 1967 and featured the UBC Thunderbirds defeating the Mount Allison Mounties and then the Sherbrooke Vert et Or in the championship match to be named the first national champions.[8][9][10]

In 1971, Quebec universities made the decision to restrict conference competition to within their own province and the Quebec Universities Athletic Association was created, leaving the O-QAA to be renamed the Ontario Universities Athletic Association (OUAA).[7][11] Teams were further sub-divided in 1972 in the WCIAA, with the Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg Wesmen, and Regina Cougars playing in the separate Great Plains Athletic Association (later renamed Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC)) while the remaining teams from Alberta and British Columbia played in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA).[3] The GPAC and CWUAA combined back into one conference starting in the 2001–02 season.[3]

The members of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference (formerly the MIAA) had seen a reduction over the years and would play regular season inter-conference games with the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ, formerly QUAA).[12] The Memorial Sea-Hawks discontinued their men's volleyball program after the 2016–17 season, leaving the AUS with only two teams, which was below the three-team league minimum for a varsity sport.[12] After a transition year, the Dalhousie Tigers and UNB Reds joined the RSEQ, resulting in the AUS conference's exit from men's volleyball.[13]

Season structure

Exhibition season

To prepare for the season, teams will typically play a series of exhibition games against conference and non-conference opponents.[14] These games are usually played in September and/or October before the regular season and in December and/or January during the holiday break.[15] In 2019, the Can Am Volleyball Holiday Showcase was created which featured eight teams from across North America, including those competing in the NCAA.[16] The 2019 tournament featured four U Sports teams and four NCAA teams, including the defending U Sports national champion Trinity Western Spartans and the NCAA national champion Long Beach State Beach.[17]

The Laval Rouge et Or against the Montreal Carabins at PEPS in 2013.

Regular season

As of the 2019–20 season, the Canada West and RSEQ regular seasons begin on the third weekend of October while the OUA schedule begins on the following weekend. All regular season games are in-conference and the schedule ends in approximately mid-February.[14][18][19]

In the RSEQ conference, the five teams play against each opponent four times (twice home and twice away) for a total of 16 regular season games.[19] In the OUA, the 13 teams are divided into two divisions with six teams in the West Division and seven teams in the East Division.[20] Each team plays home-and-home matches against teams in their own division and plays one game against each team in the opposite division. This results in each OUA East team playing 18 games and each OUA West team playing 17 games.[20] In Canada West, there were 12 teams in one conference that played two matches against every opponent resulting in 22 total games played.[18] However, this format will change with the addition of the UFV Cascades beginning play for the 2020–21 season.[21]

Following the conclusion of the regular season, the best player in U Sports Men's volleyball is given the Player of the Year Award.[22] An award is also given to the Rookie of the Year and the Dale Iwanoczko Award is given to the best well-rounded student (volleyball, academics and community involvement). An award was also given for the Libero of the Year, but it was discontinued after the 2014–15 season.[23]

Playoffs
The York Lions hosting the Brock Badgers in 2019.

After the regular season, playoff games and series are held between the top teams in each conference to determine conference champions. In the RSEQ, the top four teams qualify for the playoffs and play a best-of-three series in the semi-finals and in the conference championship.[19] In Canada West, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs and play best-of-three series in playoff brackets in the quarterfinals.[24] The winners of these series play in best-of-three semifinals until two teams remain where they play in a single elimination conference championship game.[24]

The OUA is the only conference that features a single elimination format in all playoff games.[20] The top four teams from each of the two divisions qualify and play an inter-divisional format. This means the first-seeded team in the East Division plays the fourth-seeded team in the West Division and the second-seeded team in the East Division plays the third-seeded team in the West Division (and vice versa).[20] The winners of these games play semi-final games at the site of the highest remaining seed over one weekend (highest west seed in even-numbered years, highest east seed in odd-numbered years). The conference bronze medal game and gold medal game (Forsyth Cup) are played at the same site on the same weekend.[25]

National championship
Main article: U Sports Men's Volleyball Championship

The U Sports men's volleyball championship was introduced for the 1966–67 season to determine a national champion for the CIAU.[8][9] A predetermined host university stages the eight-team tournament over three days and finals games are played on the last day to award gold, silver, and bronze medals.[26] The host team is automatically qualified for the tournament, as are each of the conference champions. Four other teams are entered based on the strength of their conferences and their post-season finishes.[26] The Manitoba Bisons and Winnipeg Wesmen have won the most championships with 10 gold medals won apiece, although the Bisons have won the most medals overall (24 for Manitoba and 15 for Winnipeg).[8][10] Quebec City has hosted the most championships with 12 which were all hosted by Université Laval (most recently in 2019).[8] The national championship has historically been dominated by the Canada West conference with those teams winning 46 of the 53 championship matches as of the 2019–20 season.[8][10] The OUA and AUS have never had a national men's volleyball champion. The 2020 championship tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[27]

Teams

Membership

The AUS conference had featured three teams following the exit of the Moncton Aigles Bleus in 2006 and featured inter-conference matches with the RSEQ.[28] The RSEQ had also been reduced to three teams in 2011 after McGill disbanded their men's program.[29][30] The Memorial Sea-Hawks folded their program after the 2016–17 season, leaving the AUS with one team short of the three-team minimum for a varsity league.[12] However, the AUS allowed Dalhousie and UNB to play a transitional season before joining the RSEQ as full members for the 2018–19 season.[13]

Conversely, the Canada West conference added teams with the UBCO Heat joining in 2011–12, Mount Royal Cougars in 2012–13, and MacEwan Griffins in 2014–15.[31][32] While the Regina Cougars program was cut following the 2017–18 season, the Fraser Valley Cascades volleyball program joined for the 2020–21 season.[33][21]

There were 30 teams that had participated in the 2019–20 Men's volleyball season. 31 teams are scheduled to compete in a 2020–21 season if one is played.[34]

Canada West
Further information: Canada West Universities Athletic Association
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceArenaCWCNC
University of British ColumbiaThunderbirdsVancouverBCWar Memorial Gymnasium54
Trinity Western UniversitySpartansLangleyBCLangley Events Centre66
University of the Fraser ValleyCascadesAbbotsfordBCEnvision Athletic Centre00
Thompson Rivers UniversityWolfPackKamloopsBCTournament Capital Centre00
University of British Columbia OkanaganHeatKelownaBCUBC Okanagan Gymnasium00
University of CalgaryDinosCalgaryABJack Simpson Gymnasium94
Mount Royal UniversityCougarsCalgaryABKenyon Court00
University of AlbertaGolden BearsEdmontonABSaville Community Sports Centre138
MacEwan UniversityGriffinsEdmontonABDr. David W. Atkinson Gymnasium00
University of SaskatchewanHuskiesSaskatoonSKPhysical Activity Complex104
Brandon UniversityBobcatsBrandonMBHealthy Living Centre20
University of ManitobaBisonsWinnipegMBInvestors Group Athletic Centre210
University of WinnipegWesmenWinnipegMBDuckworth Centre010
  • Note: Conference titles won by teams in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (1972-73 season to 2000–01 season) are not included in the above table due to lack of information on this conference.[3]

Ontario University Athletics
Further information: Ontario University Athletics
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceArenaOCNC
West Division
University of WindsorLancersWindsorONSt. Denis Centre00
University of Western OntarioMustangsLondonONAlumni Hall50
University of WaterlooWarriorsWaterlooONPhysical Activities Complex40
University of GuelphGryphonsGuelphONGuelph Gryphons Athletic Centre10
McMaster UniversityMaraudersHamiltonONBurridge Gymnasium90
Brock UniversityBadgersSt. CatharinesONBob Davis Gymnasium00
East Division
Nipissing UniversityLakersNorth BayONRobert J. Surtees Student Athletics Centre00
York UniversityLionsTorontoONTait McKenzie Centre90
University of TorontoVarsity BluesTorontoONGoldring Centre150
Ryerson UniversityRamsTorontoONMattamy Athletic Centre00
Trent UniversityExcaliburPeterboroughONTrent Athletics Centre00
Queen's UniversityGaelsKingstonONAthletics & Recreation Centre70
Royal Military College of CanadaPaladinsKingstonONSAM Gym00

Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
Further information: Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceArenaCCNC
Université de MontréalCarabinsMontrealQCCEPSUM51
Université LavalRouge et OrQuebec CityQCPEPS gymnase344
Université de SherbrookeVert et OrSherbrookeQCCentre sportif Yvon-Lamarche101
University of New BrunswickRedsFrederictonNBRichard J Currie Centre90
Dalhousie UniversityTigersHalifaxNSDalplex Fieldhouse360
  • Note: The UNB Reds and Dalhousie Tigers moved from the AUS to the RSEQ starting with the 2018–19 season.[13]

References
  1. "History". U Sports. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  2. "Golden Bears Volleyball Quick Facts". Alberta Golden Bears. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  3. "Men's Volleyball History". Canada West. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  4. Watkins, Robert (2006). "Canadian Football in Halifax and Nova Scotia 1940-1957". cisfootball.org. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  5. "1964-65 Men's Volleyball Team". Acadia Axemen. August 25, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  6. "Volleyball (M): Past Champions". Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  7. "About Ontario University Athletics". Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  8. "U Sports Volleyball Championship History". usports.ca. U Sports. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  9. "UBC Sports Hall of Fame – 1966-1967 UBC Men's Volleyball Team". UBC Thunderbirds. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  10. "CIS Championship Results" (PDF). usports.ca. U Sports. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  11. "The history of athletics at Waterloo". Imprint. June 25, 1987. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  12. "Dalhousie and UNB men's volleyball teams to compete in two-team AUS league for 2017–18 transitional season". AUS. July 25, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  13. "Men's volleyball Tigers set for RSEQ housewarming party". The Chronicle Herald. November 1, 2018.
  14. "2019-20 OUA Men's Volleyball Schedule". Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  15. "Annual Excalibur Classic begins on Jan. 5". York Lions. December 20, 2017.
  16. "Spartans to compete in Can Am Volleyball Holiday Showcase". Trinity Western Spartans. October 1, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  17. "Long Beach State Set for Preseason CanAm Holiday Volleyball Showcase". Long Beach State Beach. December 27, 2019.
  18. "Men's Volleyball Composite Schedule". Canada West. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  19. "Volleyball universitaire masculin division 1, Calendrier / Résultats / Classement" (in French). RSEQ. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  20. "OUA Rules and Regulations Volleyball G2 2019-20" (PDF). Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  21. "Cascades volleyball teams get green light for move to Canada West". University of the Fraser Valley. May 9, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  22. "Of the Year" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  23. "Awards Sport Awards". U Sports. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  24. "Men's Volleyball Playoff format". Canada West. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  25. "2019-20 Forsyth Cup Championship". Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  26. "Playing Regulations: Men's Volleyball" (PDF). U Sports. June 25, 2019.
  27. "U Sports men's volleyball championship cancelled over coronavirus concerns". Global News. March 13, 2020.
  28. "2006-07 Men's Volleyball Schedule / Results". Atlantic University Sport. 2007. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  29. "Volleyball universitaire masculin, Calendrier / Résultats / Classement 2009-2010". RSEQ. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  30. "Volleyball universitaire masculin, Calendrier / Résultats / Classement 2010-2011". RSEQ. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  31. "Expanded Season For UBCO Volleyball". castanet.net. June 25, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  32. "New sport applications approved for TWU, MacEwan, UFV". Canada West. May 7, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  33. "U of R cuts men's volleyball, men's and women's wrestling teams". CTV Regina. April 30, 2018.
  34. "U Sports cancels 2020 fall championships due to COVID-19". U Sports. June 8, 2020.
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