Special to Bullet News
The top eight men’s college volleyball programs will be in Niagara next week to vie for the national title, as Niagara College hosts the 2013 championship tournament March 7-9.
“We look forward to welcoming the best of collegiate volleyball toour college and our region,” said Sean Kennedy, Niagara College’s vice president, student and external relations. “Our athletic centre was built to host provincial and national-level sporting events, and we’re pleased to bring such a high-profile championship to our community.”
In order of ranking, the following teams will compete for the championship: Red Deer College Kings; Capilano University Blues; Nipissing University Lakers; Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Trojans; Vancouver Island University Mariners; CÉGEP de l’Outaouais Griffons; Niagara College Knights; and the University of Kings College Blue Devils.
As the seventh-ranked team in the nation, the home-team Niagara College Knights men’s volleyball program has earned a berth in the championship, and will open against second-ranked Capilano University Blues at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 7.
Opening-round games will run on Thursday, March 7 at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 6
p.m. and 8 p.m. The consolation round is played at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on
Friday, March 8, and semi final games take place that night at 6 p.m.
and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 9, begins with bronze qualifier round games
at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., the 7th/8th place game at 2 p.m., the bronze
medal game at 6 p.m. and the gold medal game at 8 p.m.
“This is a unique opportunity for local sports fans to see
national-calibre collegiate athletics and cheer on the Niagara College
Knights right here at home,” said Matthew Davies, NC’s manager of
athletics and recreation.
The Knights enter the championship following a successful season that
saw them ranked as high as first in Ontario and third in Canada. They
recently finished fourth in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
(OCAA) championship.
“Playing for a national championship gives our student-athletes
experience at the highest level, and helps us continue to build a
successful program at Niagara College,” said Nathan Groenveld, head
coach of the Niagara College Knights men’s volleyball program.
“Competing at this level is key to our ongoing development and will
help our program take the next step.”
Niagara College’s bid to host the CCAA Men’s Volleyball National
Championship was approved last year having received the unanimous
support of the CCAA board – largely on the basis of its previous success
as host of a national championship.
“Niagara College has a reputation for hosting a superb Championship,
having recently hosted the 2011 CCAA Women’s Basketball National
Championship, which raised the bar for future hosts and was nominated
for the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance Prestige Award,” said Sandra
Murray-MacDonell, executive director of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic
Association (CCAA).
Niagara College’s Athletic Centre opened in 2011 at the Welland
Campus. It includes a double-varsity gymnasium with seating for 1,000
spectators, as well as expanded fitness and aerobics areas, central
athletic therapy area, change rooms for athletes and officials, and a
two-storey entry concourse.
Admission to Championship games is $10 for adults and $5 for students
at the door. A Championship pass is available for $25. The full schedule
of games and results, as well as live-streaming is available online at
www.ccaa.ca/mensvolleyball2013.
The CCAA is the National Governing Body for collegiate varsity
athletics enriching the academic experiences of student-athletes through
intercollegiate sport.
Ironwood We
alth Management Group of Fonthill, a firm of independent
financial advisors that serves the Niagara Region, is the title sponsor
of the CCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships.
Niagara College’s Department of Athletics & Recreation was formed in
1969 and has won six national championships and 31 provincial
championships. More than 120 student athletes compete on Niagara
College’s six varsity sports teams, including men’s and women’s
basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s
volleyball. Niagara College varsity athletics also includes five
tournament teams, including men’s and women’s and mixed curling and
men’s and women’s golf. The Niagara Knights compete in the Ontario
Colleges Athletic Association Western Region.
