The Douglas College Royals are going back to the Canadian Colleges’ men’s volleyball championships.
The 2012 national collegiate runner-up pulled off a surprise upset at the PacWest provincials, defeating regular season champion Columbia Bible College in four sets in the gold-medal final at Capilano University on Saturday.
The Royals were slow out of the gate in the opening set, dropping a 25-22 match, but got behind some strong serving to rally 25-17 and 25-16 in the next two sets, before putting the Abbotsford school away with a 25-21 outcome in the fourth frame.
“The question (at the provincials) was where did that come from? But I’d argue we have been growing,” said Douglas head coach Brad Hudson. “With us, it was a matter of when we could accomplish it, not if.”
The Royals closed out the final two weeks of the regular season on a bit of a run, winning three of four league matchups.
They continued that winning attitude into the provincials, getting past Vancouver Island University in five sets in the quarter-finals, before sweeping league runner-up Camosun in straight sets in the semifinal.
“Against Camosun, we showed a lot of toughness,” Hudson added. “They just didn’t have an answer. That’s how good I think our kids played.”
In the semifinal, Douglas limited the effectiveness of Camosun’s all-star middle Alex Sadowski by attacking the wing men at the net.
The result was a 25-21, 25-15, 25-21 victory for the New Westminster college.
Andrew Robson was named the Royals’ player of the game in the semifinal with six kills and 11 points of total offence.
Robson and PacWest rookie of the year Caleb Konrad were both named to the all-tournament team following the provincials.
In the championship final, tournament MVP Andrew McWilliam picked up his second player of the game nod.
The fourth-year outside hitter slammed 25 total kills and had seven blocks in the five-set win over VIU. McWilliam had another 15 kills and five aces in the championship final.
McWilliam played better volleyball this weekend than at any other time in his four-year career at Douglas, said Hudson.
“To his credit, (McWilliam) is still improving, which says a lot about our group,” Hudson said.
Royals freshman George Thompson also had a strong provincials, garnering 13 of his 36 total kills in the three games played in the gold-medal final.
Konrad and Angus Ireland registered 10 and 11 digs, respectively, in the final match.
Second team PacWest all-star Drew Ruby added 15 kills, four blocks and one of nine Douglas service aces in the win over CBC.
The Canadian college nationals will be held in Moose Jaw, Sask. from March 6 to 8.
