Michael Svab, #8 for the WolfPack men's volleyball team will play his final regular season games at the TCC this weekend. (Image Credit: TRU WolfPack Athletics/Allen Douglas}

By Adam Donnelly

LAST DANCE

Five WolfPack volleyball players set to graduate on final weekend of regular season

Feb 16, 2023 | 4:41 PM

KAMLOOPS — As the WolfPack volleyball teams prepare to wrap up their seasons, five veterans — one from the men’s side and four from the women’s — will be playing in the final matches of their university careers.

Michael Svab would like a couple of wins and a date in the Canada West playoffs.

“My senior night is kind of a side thing,” Svab tells CFJC Today. “Winning the games are priority Number One. It’s got to be our main focus this week, and we want to get all the boys dialled in and on the same page at the right time.”

For outside hitter Siobhan Toal, her time with the WolfPack has been defined by the relationships she built with her teammates — especially the other grads.

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“I don’t know how you spend five days a week — almost every second — with five other people, and they don’t become a massive part of your life,” Toal explains. “I don’t think I’d still be playing for five years if I didn’t have that support through injuries and school and all of that. I’m just feeling really grateful.”

Erin Mutch will also step onto the court for the final time this Saturday with the WolfPack. She’s happy to be able to do so with her teammates that have been with her at every step along this journey.

“I’m excited going into this weekend. I know myself and the rest of the seniors, we’re more focused on spending this last game together and going out an emotional high,” Mutch says. “It doesn’t matter what the result is. It would be great to win, but it’s more of an emotional journey.”

Abby Spratt has already written her name into the WolfPack record books with the most assists in program history. Spratt was already a veteran when the other three grads joined the team. After playing a year of pro in Europe during the pandemic, she came back to finish her degree and now gets to graduate with Mutch, Toal and middle Hayley McNaught.

Hayley McNaught, #14, is one of the TRU women’s volleyball players who will play her final games for the program this weekend. (Image Credit: TRU WolfPack Athletics/Andrew Snucins)

“I watched them in their first year, and I watched them grow to the women that they’ve become, too, and I’m so proud of who they’ve turned into and the things they’ve accomplished,” Spratt says. “I know they’re ready to accomplish so much more outside of school and get into the real world. It really is a nice moment.”

For Interim Head Coach Behlul Yavasgel, it’s a bittersweet moment, as four of his top players will start a new chapter in their lives once the season is over. However, he is grateful for their contributions to the program and proud of the women they’ve grown into during their time with TRU.

“I have known them since their very first year, and I saw their development as players, on and off the court as humans. Those four stick truly to our values. They represent our values on and off the court,” Yavasgel says. “We’re proud of them, is basically the last words about them.”