MVB | Kodiaks earn first nationals win
After 53 years, the Kodiaks have their first nationals win in men’s volleyball program history.
March 13, 2020 – After 53 years, the Kodiaks have their first nationals win in men’s volleyball program history.
Michael Hummel had ten kills and setter Nash Shipton had 24 assists as the Kodiaks dismantled the Holland College Hurricanes (PEI) in straight sets (25-20, 25-21, 25-17) in Friday’s bronze medal quarter-final at the 2020 CCAA National Championship in Fredericton, NB.
After being knocked out of national title contention in heartbreaking fashion against Sherbrooke yesterday, the Kodiaks responded valiantly and quickly established themselves as the superior side against the ACAA wildcard winners.
“Today again we witnessed the unwavering resiliency that this group has shown all season,” says head coach Greg Gibos. “We’ve challenged them to bounce back and really take pride in battling through adversity. It was another example of a group who is desperate for the betterment of Kodiaks volleyball. We see the opportunity to win a bronze medal and bring that back to our friends and family in Lethbridge. We are always so grateful for their support.”
Michael Hummel had ten kills, Carter Hansen had six while Nash Shipton had 24 assists at setter as the Kodiaks dismantled the ACAA wildcard Holland College Hurricanes (PEI) in straight sets.
The Kodiaks entered the match without the services of starting setter Zach Wikenheiser due to injury, giving Shipton (first year, Coaldale AB) an opportunity to shine on the nationals stage.
He took full advantage of the opportunity in earning the Kodiaks player of the game honours, making smart decisions while keeping the Holland defence uncomfortable.
“I thought that Nash controlled the flow of the game really well for a first-year setter in a National Championship match,” says Gibos. “He’s going to be a huge piece of the program in the future and I think this is a big stepping stone to the start of his career in pressure games. I thought he gave his hitters the opportunity to swing on almost every ball which is exactly what a great setter does.” 
Holland actually had a brief lead in set one but strong serving helped the Kodiaks come back and then pull away. Lethbridge then took advantage of multiple Hurricanes errors to take control of the match in set two. Holland made 20 attack errors over the entire match, with the Kodiaks making just 12.
Lethbridge then sealed the deal by jumping out to a 5-0 lead in set three, then held on to close things out. Every Kodiaks roster player ended up seeing time on the court.
With the 7th place game being cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, the win ensured the Kodiaks season would be extended by one day.
Bronze medal pursuit continues Saturday
The Kodiaks will now take on the loser of the Red Deer/Capilano semi-final in the bronze semi-final tomorrow at noon AST (9 a.m. MST). The winner will earn a spot in the bronze medal match at 6 p.m. AST (3 p.m. MST), while the loser will see their season end.
“Tomorrow is going to be an emotional day as we will get to celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of several of the pillars in the Kodiaks volleyball program,” says Gibos. “We have six athletes and two coaches who will be representing the Kodiaks for the final time. We have already accomplished so many incredible things, and I know they are hungry to end the season and careers with a couple more wins. I can’t wait for the challenge tomorrow brings, and I know we will see our best matches of the season.”