Sherbrooke chases return trip to final

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This article was published 20/03/2025 (210 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jonathan Portelance has one box left to check in one of the best U Sports men’s volleyball careers in recent memory.

He’s completed his fourth and final RSEQ season without finishing worse than first. The six-foot-three setter was an all-star every year, now twice the conference player of the year with a shot at a second straight first-team all-Canadian nod.

Portelance has three U Sports medals. All he’s missing is the only one he wants.

“This year was really tough. It was our last one and with the ending we had last year, it was tough,” Portelance said moments after arriving in Brandon for nationals on Tuesday.

“We started with the objective of we want to go to nationals, we want to go to the final and win it for real this time.

“The last two weeks were really good training-wise. We finally have our ticket and finally could go there and prove to everyone we can win this.”

Portelance is one of a handful of Vert et Or starters playing their final university matches this weekend. They’re the No. 2 seed, opening the tournament against the Western Mustangs on Friday at noon.

It’s the culmination of a lengthy process that started when a bunch of college players decided to attend the Université de Sherbrooke together and put a new Quebec school on the map after years of Laval Rouge et Or dominance.

Portelance attended Cegep de Sherbrooke for a few years before making the jump. In Quebec, students head to cegep after Grade 11 and must complete a diploma to gain acceptance into a university.

While there, they’re allowed to compete at the college level without expending university eligibility, which isn’t the case in the rest of the country.

Portelance and a few others, including captain Yoan David, came together as one of the best rookie classes in the country. They put their heads down and worked for more than a year before anyone else noticed.

“The year after COVID, that’s when the whole team was there. That’s what caused the big surprise. During the COVID year, we trained a lot and had big expectations,” Portelance said.

“Just the fact that we were there for two years training with our full group, that’s what made it a big upset. Even our first year was kind of a surprise, we did well during the season but it was at the end we peaked at the right time.”

Since then, the Vert et Or have dominated the five-team RSEQ year in and year out.

Portelance had a fantastic season, leading the league with 31 aces while posting 10.21 assists per set, good for fourth in the country.

As the guy making the clear-cut best team in the conference run so smoothly, he was once again named its top player.

“I’m grateful for it but it’s not what I’m looking for in the season. It sure feels good but I’m part of the team and it’s because of the team that I get this award,” Portelance said.

“They do everything. I’m the second contact so if the first one is not there I cannot do my job well. If the reception is there I just give the ball to the right spot and they are the guys that kill the ball. If there’s no kill or no reception, I’m nothing without them.”

CAPTAIN SAYS KEY

IS DOMINANT MIDDLES

David agrees his setter’s in a great position to succeed.

The fifth-year right side said the key to Sherbrooke’s success, including six wins at nationals in the past three years, is its lack of weaknesses in the lineup.

Unlike most in the eight-team field, he feels the offence starts with the middles.

Elliot Collard and Julien Vanier hit .330 and .426, respectively, as both recorded more than 80 kills in 16 matches.

“Our two middles are going to be a big threat and I think if our middle is going well, our outside hitters are going to get more opportunities but it often starts with the middle,” David said.

“People are going to be surprised by how efficient they are with their size and everything.”

Vanier, one of the seniors, stands just six-foot-three but plays bigger.

Especially at that size, though, passing is at a premium for any middle-heavy attack.

The Vert et Or have three new starters in those spots but Jérémie Rainville and Hugo Ouellet have worked well with libero Antoine Ravet to make life easy for Portelance.

“We’re happily surprised by how good we got,” David said. “We definitely have the passing to allow our middles to shine.”

Part of Sherbrooke’s success comes from learning its four league opponents well throughout a 16-match season.

David realizes his group isn’t as used to handling unfamiliarity across the net as the teams from larger conferences, but the Vert et Or have handled it just fine in three consecutive opening-round wins at nationals.

They know the neutral-site matches — and games against hosts — take some getting used to.

“It’s interesting. We actually had a meeting about this event and all the distractions that are related to this,” David said. “The main point is at the end of the day, it’s still volleyball. You have a job to do. It’s always trying to go back into the present moment.

“It’s the final steps. It’s three games. The motivation and focus increase to a whole new level.”

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