CALGARY – Once fixtures at the CIS men's volleyball championship, the University of Calgary Dinos men's volleyball side makes its return to the national stage as the 2010 national meet opens at Kamloops' Tournament Capital Centre Friday.

2009-10 Dinos Men's Volleyball Media Guide (.pdf)

Since 1982, the Dinos have made 17 appearances and won three national titles. Before their last appearance in 2003, Calgary had never gone more than two seasons without attending the national tournament – but that 2003 event at the University of Alberta would kick off a seven-year dry spell for the Dinos.

Having made a resurgence over the past four seasons since Rod Durrant took over as head coach in 2006, the Dinos are back in what Durrant calls a 'wide open tournament' to decide the national champion in 2010.

“It's a big step for this program to get back to the national championship,” said Durrant, who won back-to-back Canadian college titles at Mount Royal College in 1998 and 1999. “The athletes that have committed to us have really worked hard, and to have the opportunity to win a national championship is a great accomplishment for a young group of guys.”

Durrant and the Dinos will all be CIS championship rookies at the 2010 event hosted by Thompson Rivers University, but that doesn't mean they don't have any championship experience. Seven players on the roster have attended college championships, while four – libero Tom Porta, setter Jay Blankenau, middle Patrick Lenaour, and left side Pierre Rocque – have won CCAA titles in their careers.

“We have a bunch of guys who have won college championships, and we hope that their experiences there transfer into this one,” said Durrant.

Calgary finished the 2009-10 season with its second straight 13-5 record and needed only to win one playoff series at home last season to qualify for nationals. An upset series win by Winnipeg eliminated the Dinos in 2009, but it also provided a little extra motivation this year – motivation the team used to finish second and sweep Manitoba to earn their CIS berth.

Seeded sixth in the eight-team tournament after losing a tight conference semi-final to Trinity Western last week at the Final Four in Edmonton, the Dinos face perennial Atlantic champion Dalhousie in the opening round Friday night. The Dinos and Tigers faced off on the championship court in Kamloops back at the McDonald's Invitational in January, with Dalhousie emerging victorious 3-1. Despite the loss, however, that match should prove beneficial to both teams as they open the national tournament against an opponent that is at least somewhat familiar.

“We played them in January, and they're a good team,” said Durrant. “They have two very good middles, a solid left side, a good young setter and a good right side, so they're as good as they come. We need to be ready and at our best to beat them on Friday night, but that's the exciting part of all this. If you prepare and look after your side, you have the opportunity to be successful.”

While there isn't much recent history between the Dinos and Tigers, Friday's match will be the ninth all-time between the two teams at the CIS championships – with Calgary boasting a 7-1 record in the eight previous meetings. Four of those eight were in quarterfinals, with Calgary winning every one including the most recent meeting back in 1999.
 
The only Dalhousie victory came in the 1997 national semi-final, which the Dinos hosted in the Jack Simpson Gym.

Dalhousie is making its 31st consecutive appearance at the CIS championship, still in search of its first Tantramar Trophy in that period. The Dinos, meanwhile, are three-time champions (1982, 1989, 1993).

Other quarterfinal action pits No. 1 Laval against No. 8 Montreal, No. 2 Alberta against the host No. 7 Thompson Rivers WolfPack, and No. 4 Trinity Western against No. 5 Queen's.

While the Golden Bears are two-time defending champions, Laval has been ranked near the top of the nation all season. Even the Dinos spent a week ranked No. 1 in the CIS Top 10, so there are eight teams heading to Kamloops this weekend that believe they can return home with a trophy and banner.

“I think everyone has a shot. There's no clear-cut favourite,” Durrant said. “Laval goes in at number one but I think Alberta is a very close number two, and there's really not a lot to choose from between these teams,” said Durrant.” Anyone can beat anyone on any given day, so you need to be performing to the best of your ability.”

After an up-and-down season that saw them battle injuries and wild swings in quality of their play – as evidenced by an early-season 3-0 win on the road over Alberta, followed by a late-season 3-2 loss to UBC, who didn't qualify for the playoffs – the Dinos seem to be hitting their stride down the stretch. After capping off the regular season with an important road sweep of the Winnipeg Wesmen, the Dinos overcame a poor opening-night playoff performance to sweep the quarterfinal series with Manitoba.

Their conference semi-final went to the full five sets before ending in defeat at the hands of the Spartans, but Calgary was able to bounce back with a solid performance in the bronze medal match against Thompson Rivers.

The Dinos are a deep team, with five players recording more than 100 kills in the regular season – easily the highest total in the conference. Left side Curtis James led the way in that category, followed by Graham Vigrass' 141 in just 43 sets after missing six matches due to injury. Vigrass made the transition to the right side from his middle spot early in the season and blossomed there to lead the team with 3.28 kills per set.

Oleg Podporin was the team's lone first team all-star after leading the conference in hitting percentage (.453). One of six fifth-year seniors on the team, Podporin teams with David Egan to provide a solid one-two punch in the middle and an impressive blocking presence on defence.

Setter Ciaran McGovern earned a spot on the second all-star team for the second straight year and splits the setting duties with transfer Blankenau – a position they're familiar with after both played for the junior national team over the summer, along with Vigrass.

Calgary has depth off the bench as well, with 2009 second team All-Canadian Omar Langford leading the way. He's joined by Don MacNeill, who was a key factor in the Dinos' bronze medal win, along with Pierre Rocque – who was vital in the playoff series with Manitoba.

-UC-