New season starts Friday

COUGAR WOMEN

Cougar volleyball will commence this weekend with the men and women’s teams coming off drastically different 2010-11 seasons.

The Cougar women are the reigning CCAA National champions after an sensational run that saw them take ACAC gold before heading to Saint John, New Brunswick and capturing the CCAA gold medal.

The Cougars will be without team anchors Diyon Van Nistelrooy and Andrea Price this year, and will be relying on third year players Julia Pasieka, libero Julie Deveson and setter Mackenzie Allen to shoulder the load.

Also returning for the Cougars are outsides Katie Benoit, Fallon Middlemiss and Castell Van Pardon, as well as second-year middle Lindsey Kist.

New faces on the Cougar women’s squad this year include first-year setter Jenna Smith, and transfers Olivia Grecu (McGill), Kate Porta (GPRC) and Ashley Lundy (Medicine Hat). Porta is a powerhouse from the Grand Prairie Regional College Wolves, one of the stiffest competitors faced by the Cougars last season. Outside hitter Grecu brings CIS experience to the Cougars’ final year in the ACAC, which will be valuable as the team prepares to transition to Canada West.

The Cougars have been hard at work this offseason in hopes of another championship run, and head coach Sandra Lamb is sure to keep that fire burning all season long.

The Cougar women will begin their regular season on Friday at home against the GPRC Wolves as Kate Porta gets a chance to face her old team. This is a potential playoff matchup, making the first weekend of the season that much more important. Game time is 6 p.m. at Kenyon Court.

COUGAR MEN

The Cougar men are coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued 2010-11 season, and will look to get back into the post-season after narrowly missing last year.

The men will introduce nine new student-athletes to the process this year, and will need to buy into the philosophies of head coach Shawn Sky if they’re to achieve their post-season aspirations. The Cougars have good overall size and athleticism, so their success will be determined by how quickly they can grasp the technical aspects of Sky’s offensive and defensive systems.

New to the Cougars this year are: libero Colton Smethurst, right-side Jordan Parkin, setters Aaron Pierik and Matt Cantin and middles Jelle Geurts and Lucas King. All enter in their first year at MRU along with third-year transfer student, Simon Hart, from Algonquin College. This year’s recruiting class also has an international flavor to it. Grigor Kartev is a seven-foot-one middle from Calais, France and Jordan Power, a six-foot-three left-side, hails from Canberra, Australia.

The veterans returning to the lineup are: fourth-year left side Graeme Beal, third-year outsides Dan Durham and Colton de Man (de Man did not use a year of eligibility in 2010-11 due to injuries), second-year libero/leftside Lucas Stepanko, third-year middle Jordan Lantz and second-year middle Sean Peister.

The Cougars have excellent depth on the outside, anchored by ACAC All-Star Dan Durham and a healthy Colton deMan. Joining them will be Power and Parkin. Parkin recently led his high school team to the 2A provincial championship title, and is quickly becoming a favorite of the Cougars’ coaching staff.

The mix of new and returning players will the storyline to follow this season as the Cougars attempt a playoff run. The new additions have a real chance to make an impact here as Sky looks for the best combination to put on the floor night in and night out.

The Cougar men will open their season Friday night with the first of a two game home stand against the GPRC Wolves. Game time is at 8 p.m. on Kenyon Court.

Fans attending Friday night’s game will also have a chance to win an Apple iPad. Games are always free for students, staff and faculty. Hope to see you there!