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02/22/12...ACAC....The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference is pleased to announce the ACAC Women's Volleyball All-Conference Team as selected by the ACAC Women's Volleyball Coaches

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

02/22/2012...Moose Jaw, Sask –In the 1800’s and early 1900s’ an extensive network of tunnels were dug below the streets of Moose Jaw as a way to avoid the outdoor cold of winter.

Well starting tomorrow a new type of digging is underway as Moose Jaw FieldHouse (above ground) hosts the 2011-2012 ACAC men’s volleyball championships Feb 23-25, 2012 with the Briercrest Clippers leaving the cosy confines of their Caronport, Saskatchewan gym to a bigger facility in order to accommodate fans and promote the sport.

We have dug up some stats and come up with something we trust you dig as we look into the ACAC Crystal Ball with predictions on who will win.

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

02/22/2012...Medicine Hat - Well…last season  the ACAC Crystal Ball was pretty dead on when going out on the limb and making predictions for basketball, hockey and volleyball playoffs and championships.

This year though we struck out on the women’s volleyball Wild Card finals as we predicted The Kings Eagles would defeat the Lakeland Rustlers and the Lethbridge Kodiaks would beat the SAIT Trojans to advance to this weekend’s championships to be held Feb 24-26, 2012 at Medicine Hat College home of the Rattlers.

Instead the Rustlers and Trojans advance. Maybe I was looking at the crystal ball backwards?

A quick windex and cleaning and we now look at the championships.

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

02/21/2012...Caronport, Saskatchewan - Last season when the final point was scored with the Briercrest Clippers winning their first-ever Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men’s volleyball championship...head coach Nigel Mullen did not find a bucket of Gatorade being dumped over top of his head or players surrounding him. Instead it was his assistant coach literally jumping into his arms while planting a kiss.

A kiss?

His assistant coach happened to be his wife Natalie Mullen.

Nigel is hoping for another big kiss and hug from his wife as the Clippers host the 2011-2012 ACAC men’s volleyball championships Feb 23-25, 2012.

They will not be hosting the eight-team 12-game tournament on home court though in Caronport, Saskatchewan as they make the move to Moose Jaw to play in the Moose Jaw Fieldhouse which opened in November 2010.

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

02/15/2012...ACAC - 02/14/2012....ACAC – Briercrest or bust.

Four teams will take to the hardwood Friday in the best-of-three Alberta Colleges Alberta College’s Wild Card men’s volleyball series with two teams advancing to the championships to be held Feb 23-26, 2012 at Briercrest College home of the Clippers located in Caronport, Saskatchewan.

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

02/14/2012....ACAC - Let the playoffs begin!

Four teams will spike it up this coming Friday in the best-of-three Alberta Colleges Alberta College’s Wild Card women’s volleyball series with two teams advancing to the championships to be held Feb 24-26, 2012 at Medicine Hat College home of the Rattlers.

by Todd Kimberley, SAIT Trojans sports writer

02/07/12...CALGARY — It’s very clear . . . this is strictly a love-Haight relationship.

Tom Haight was cautious about returning to collegiate volleyball back in the fall. An outside hitter, Haight tried out for Ryan Marsden’s SAIT Trojans, and was enthusiastically offered a spot on the roster, but reluctantly turned it down in mid-September, citing the importance of his classes at SAIT Polytechnic and his focus on a career as a paramedic.

by Todd Kimberley, SAIT Trojans sports writer

01/25/12...CALGARY — Last spring, Ryan Marsden and his pal Dan Ota, the men’s volleyball coach at Halifax’s Dalhousie University, were cracking wise about the recent sporting pipeline that runs from Marsden’s SAIT Trojans to Oda’s Tigers.

Fearsome right-side Kenny Rauwerda and setter Justin Kilb both moved on to Dalhousie, a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s volleyball power, following the Trojans’ 2009-10 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) championship.

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

01/24/2012...Edmonton, Alberta - Interviewing Jonathan Kassian over the telephone, his voice is clear and articulate. He listens patiently to each question.

After a few moments of conversation with The Kings University College Eagles men’s volleyball player, it is evident that he is proud that he will be representing Canada at a World Competition in the sport he loves.

But one question remains. This reporter finally asks: “Jon…how is it that you are able to hear me? Do you have some sort of amplifier or computer that translates my words into dictation?”

Why the unusual question? For you see, Kassian, 22, is legally deaf and he will be part of Team Canada in beach volleyball at the 2012 World Deaf Beach Volleyball Championships to be held in the Ukraine.

by Todd Kimberley, SAIT Trojans sports writer

17/01/2012...CALGARY — As a journalism student, Danielle Harder plans on writing for a living. But when she suits up in the red-and-white togs of the SAIT Trojans, Harder is a speed reader with very few peers.

A speed reader on the volleyball court, that is. As the Trojans’ starting libero, or defensive specialist, Harder is tasked with first-touch duties . . . and that includes sizing up what’s happening on the other side of the net, taking an educated guess, and making that leap of faith.

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

01/17/2012...Grande Prairie, Alberta - Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves women’s volleyball coach Ron Thomson was raised in Chetwynd, British Columbia which is recognized as the “Chainsaw Sculpture Capitol of the World” as it showcases over 50 chainsaw carvings spread throughout town.

So it is no wonder that Thomson has carved out a nice career in the world of volleyball with more than 500 collegiate wins as a coach with the Wolves (500th win came against the Concordia Thunder 25-21, 25-14, 25-13 November 4, 2011).

1/12/2012 - Lloydminster, AB... For the first time in Lakeland College’s history, the college will host a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship. Lakeland announced today that it will host the 2013 CCAA women’s volleyball championship. Matches will take place from March 7-9, 2013 at the Lloydminster campus gymnasium. All of the matches will be webcast.

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

01/06/2012 - 01/05/2012 - 01/04/2012 - This is the fifth in a series of previews for ACAC men's and women's basketball, hockey and volleyball as we head into the second half of the 2011/2012 season.

ACAC Men’s Volleyball Preview for the New Year 2012.

We asked the ACAC men’s volleyball head coaches three quick questions

1: How has your team played so far into the 2011-2012 season and have they lived up to your expectations?

2: Who are your two or three main players you look to lead and why?

3: Who are the three main teams in men's volleyball to challenge for the ACAC title

by Curtis J. Phillips, ACAC Sports Writer

01/05/2012 - 01/04/2012 - This is the second in a series of previews for ACAC men's and women's basketball, hockey and volleyball as we head into the second half of the 2011/2012 season.

ACAC Women’s Volleyball Preview for the New Year 2012.

We asked the ACAC women’s volleyball head coaches three quick questions

1: How has your team played so far into the 2011-2012 season and have they lived up to your expectations?

2: Who are your two or three main players you look to lead and why?

3: Who are the three main teams in women's volleyball to challenge for the ACAC title?

by Todd Kimberley, SAIT Trojans Sports Writer

11/29/11...CALGARY — History books tell us that Charlemagne once ruled much of Western and Central Europe. And in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference’s present-day court of coaching opinion, Christine Charlemagne is clearly an heiress apparent.

Charlemagne, 20, joined the SAIT Trojans women’s volleyball team midway through the 2010-11 ACAC season. And by now, the Montreal native’s reputation precedes her as one of the conference’s most formidable foes at the middle position.