Cougars men hunting for national berth

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This article was published 14/02/2025 (295 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In what could be some of the final meaningful matches of their careers, the Assiniboine Cougars men’s volleyball team is hoping for a spectacular send-off for senior members.

A first trip to nationals would be a great way to achieve that.

The Cougars play in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference semifinal Saturday in Winnipeg, and with a win, the team would book the program’s first trip to nationals before next weekend’s league final.

With the Providence Pilots having locked up the top seed, and as host of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championship in March, another MCAC team is guaranteed a nationals berth.

The winner of Saturday’s semifinal against the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers means the one-match winner will play into March.

“It’s going to take all of us. It’s not a one-man team, or even the six players on the court. The team is the unit that comes together. We all gotta do our jobs,” said fourth-year outside hitter Noah Barcellona.

Inexperience played a factor in Assiniboine’s playoff aspirations in the past, as most academic programs at the college are one to two years in length, meaning most players don’t stay long enough to consume all five years of eligibility afforded to them.

Barcellona is one of a group of seniors that is looking to end on a high note after joining the team in the COVID-cancelled season of 2020-21.

Having grown into a vocal, energetic leadership role, he and fellow outside hitter Zane Dyck have become the team’s dynamic one-two punch that has led the team in many ways.

Barcellona said he’s seen the ups and downs of varying levels of team success over his years, referring to it as a “roller coaster” that he wouldn’t have traded for anything.

“Knowing and learning from other leaders in the program that came before me has helped,” said Barcellona.

“The last four years have gone by in a blink. It’s a high level, and it’s really brought the guys together and pushed us further than we have been pushed.

“High intensity, everybody is pushing each other because no spot is taken. Everybody has to work their a… off and prove they want to be on the court,” said Barcellona.

Assiniboine finished third in the four-team league standings at 8-10 but pushed the top-seeded Pilots the distance in the first meeting between the two teams back in November.

The Cougars went 2-4 against the Blazers in league play this year, and are going in with the mindset that regular seasons don’t mean much once playoffs roll around.

Barcellona and Dyck, a third-year outside hitter from Rapid City, are far from the biggest attackers in the league, but bring plenty of intangibles, according to second-year head coach Dan Ashfield.

“It’s a really special group. It’s hard to think that some of these guys that have been such a critical part of our team. I’m really not ready for this season to end,” said Ashfield.

“These guys have brought so much in helping and guiding our younger guys and leading our progress and development. These senior guys have played a huge role in that development.”

Their energy combined with defensive presence counteracts what they might lack in height. Barcellona finished third in the conference in kills (145) but both finished in the top five in digs, Barcellona with 98 and Dyck not far behind with 87.

Constantly adapting to new roles and experiences was an opportunity that Dyck learned to love.

“I mostly played right side last year but mostly solidified as a left side this year. I just tried to be that rock,” said Dyck.

“If we needed to score, I tried to be that guy out there on the left side that we could chuck a high ball too and I could put it away.”

Dyck said the inspiration to play his hardest came easy, as his three years as a Cougar were just as fun as they were competitive thanks in large part to the coaching staff, those working behind the scenes in the athletics program, and most of all, his teammates.

“It’s just the love of the game and the guys. I love everyone around here, I love being here, I love this program,” said Dyck following one of his team’s final tuneups ahead of this weekend.

“Sad to see it go this year, and I just want to win more than anything,” Dyck added.

First serve in Saturday’s semifinal is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start at the Loewen Athletic Centre at CMU.

As a group, they aren’t looking past Saturday’s contest, but the thought of booking a spot at nationals is tantalizing and provides plenty of motivation.

“It’s gonna feel amazing. Hopefully our hard work will pay off, but if we get through them Saturday, the job’s not finished,” said Barcellona.

“It’s gonna take every person on our team, for every single point to just be in the right mind space. No sets or points off, because if we give them any ground they’re going to take it and they’re going to run,” Dyck added.

“We want to win so bad on Saturday. All the work and prep is there, all the guys are focused, now we just need to go out there and execute.”

The MCAC banner will be up for grabs against either the Cougars or the Blazers the weekend of Feb. 21-23.

Providence will look to defend the conference championship before hosting nationals, the MCAC’s first time hosting a CCAA national championship, the weekend of March 5-8 in Niverville.

» mpackwood@brandonsun.com