Image Credit: TRU WolfPack/Andrew Snucins

By Adam Donnelly

UNIVERSITY VOLLEYBALL

TRU WolfPack volleyball kicks off the season with strong showing in the Tournament Capital Centre

Oct 26, 2022 | 4:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Canadawest volleyball season is underway and the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men and women hosted their first action last weekend. The Brandon University Bobcats came to town Friday and Saturday (Oct. 21 and 22), and the WolfPack were not gracious hosts. The men’s team split a pair of five-set matches with the Bobcats, while the women’s side won 3-2 on Friday, and swept the Bobcats 3-0 on Saturday.

“We’re just a crew that tries to play fast and loud and have a good time.”

It’s a simple philosophy from the interim head coach of the TRU Women’s volleyball team. Behlul Yavasgel — affectionately known to his players as “Bubba” — has stepped in for regular head coach Chad Grimm, who is on a leave of absence this year.

Image Credit: TRU WolfPack/Andrew Snucins

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“He definitely reminds me a lot of a professional coach,” fifth-year setter Abby Spratt tells CFJC Today. “A lot of the time we talk about this as a professional team, and he definitely adds that fire within us. Sometimes we consider him like our little brother.”

Spratt is back after taking last season off to play professionally in Slovakia. For an interim head coach, having that experienced fifth-year setter should benefit a relatively young team.

“Abby has a very calm and collected presence on the court, which is very important for these girls,” Yavasgel explains. “She’s helping with the other two young setters we have on the management side of things and she’s our captain this year.”

“Me, being an older player, for sure helps the younger crew especially,” Spratt says. “I just do what I can.”

On the men’s side, head coach Pat Hennelly is entering his 17th year with the program. He’s happy with the results his team saw on the weekend against a Bobcats team that knocked the WolfPack out of the playoffs last year.

“They beat us pretty handily last year in the playoffs 3-0 and I think they came in expecting to do the same thing,” Hennelly tells CFJC Today. “Really great to see our guys come back in the fourth set and then finish it off Friday night, and then come back in the fourth set on Saturday and get it down to two points. I thought it was an exceptional weekend for us to start things off.”

One of the pieces Hennelly will lean on this year is second-year outside hitter Sam Flowerday. The Australian national team member believes this WolfPack squad could frustrate opponents on the court.

“Just to be that kind of annoying team that you want to play, like never giving up,” Flowerday says. “Just getting after everything, never giving up. That’s the expectation that we want to play to.”

Image Credit: TRU WolfPack/Andrew Snucins

Both teams will travel to Winnipeg this weekend, where they’ll take on the University of Manitoba Bisons, before hosting the Winnipeg Wesmen on November 4 and 5 at the TCC.