News Archive - 2006

Avalanche wrap up first semester- November 27/06

Combine a long road trip, with the most difficult facility to play in, against two of the top volleyball teams in Canada, and you see what the Avalanche were facing in their final game of the first half of the season.

The Avs travelled to Nanaimo to face the Malaspina Mariners, both men and women being ranked top 10. The Avs weren't able to hold off the Mariners and fell in straight sets both days.

Amanda Bartle had a strong game in the middle position, putting up 5 stuff blocks to go with her kill and 3 aces. Lara Schroeder had a solid night as setter, collecting 4 kills and 3 aces. Jackie Taylor led the offense putting up 11 kills and 4 aces.

Aaron Brown had a solid match, posting 14 kills with his 3 stuff blocks, followed closely by Blake Giles with 12 kills and 3 aces.

The Avs now take a break until the new year where they return to league play at UBC-Okanagan on January 12/13, followed the next weekend by their home opener against the CBC Bearcats.

Avalanche men improve national ranking - November 24/06

The Avalanche men climb up in the national rankings to ninth in Canada. For full weekly rankings, please visit http://www.ccaa.ca/web/index.php/en/mvbrankings

Avalanche week two results - November 14/06

The Avalanche resumed play after a week bye, to face the College of New Caledonia Kodiaks.

Both the men and the ladies dominated the matches on Friday night, defeating the Kodiaks in three straight sets. Saturday say the both Kodiak teams come back hard to make up for their losses. The Av women were unable to make the weekend sweep, dropping a fifth set tie breaker, while the Av men swept the Kodiaks in three.

Jackie Taylor continued here strong run, putting up 31 kills, 4 stuff blocks and 7 aces over the two nights. The men had a more balanced attack over their previous weekend. Returning player Aaron Brown led the offense with 20 kills and 6 stuff blocks. First year Graham Coskey had a solid match with 9 kills in the middle along with a couple stuffs.

The Avs only have a few days rest before jumping back on the bus to take on the Malaspina Mariners in Nanaimo.

Avalanche men receive national ranking - November 10/06

The Avalanche men start the season off with a national ranking. The CCAA/Mazda national rankings put College of the Rockies at 11th spot in Canada. For full weekly rankings, please visit http://www.ccaa.ca/web/index.php/en/mvbrankings

Avalanche opening weekend results - November 7/06

The Avalanche headed out for the opening weekend against the UCFV Cascades.

The ladies were were unable to find the start they wanted, and dropped both the Friday and Saturday matches, 3-0. The men were able to drop the Cascades Friday night 3-0, but Saturday saw the team lose in a fifth set tie breaker.

The women were lead by the experience of their returning players. Lucy Peterson and Jackie Taylor posted almost identical team leading offensive stats with Peterson scoring on 13 kills, a stuff block and 3 aces, while Taylor followed with 14 kills and an ace.

The men also received solid performances from their veterans with Keegan Zuidhof putting up 29 kills and 3 stuff blocks and Blake Giles tallying 26 kills and 4 stuff blocks.

The Avs will have a one week bye before travelling to Prince George to face the Kodiaks.

Avalanche name new coach for women's volleyball-Oct. 20/06

The College of the Rockies welcomes Lee Mellor as the new Head Coach of the women's volleyball program. An updated biography will be posted this week.

Five Avalanche Players receive National Award - October, 2006

Congratulations go to Matt Dixon, Ryan Hilton, Natalie Weir, Laura West and Nadine Riehl for receiving the CCAA National Scholar Award for the 2005-06 academic year.

The National Scholar Award is designed to recognize the outstanding academic accomplishments of CCAA student-athletes. To achieve this honour, a student-athlete must achieve a GPA standing of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent in their current academic year.

Please visit http://www.ccaa.ca/stories/06092603.htm for the full story.

Men's Avalanche announce recent recruits

College of the Rockies men’s volleyball coach Steve Kamps is pleased to announce that Dan Metcalf, Mike Clark, Graham Coskey, and Eric Meeuwissen have committed to joining the Avalanche for the 2006-2007 season.   “All four of these gifted athletes are welcomed additions to our program” said Avs coach Kamps.

Dan Metcalf (W.L. Seaton), a 6’2” setter from Vernon, BC will study Human Kinetics at the College of the Rockies.  Dan is an extremely talented setter who has achieved numerous athletic and academic awards.  Dan was a silver medalist and 1st team all-star at the 2005 BC High School Championships.  Dan has also been short listed to the 2005 Under 18 Team BC squad.  “Dan is an extremely hard worker and will make an immediate impact in the BCCAA next year” said Steve Kamps.

Mike Clark (John G. Diefenbaker), a 6’4” athlete from Calgary, Alberta will study Human Kinetics at the College of the Rockies.  “Mike is a complete student-athlete with an impressive resume of athletic and academic accomplishments ", noted Steve Kamps.  Mike has had an impressive high school and club volleyball career.  He has been a member of the Canuck Stuff Volleyball Club and has twice represented them at the USA Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships. 

Graham Coskey (Foothills Composite), a 6’5” middle blocker from Okotoks, Alberta will study Business Administration at the College of the Rockies.  “Graham has enormous potential as a middle blocker”  said Kamps.  Mike was the captain of the Foothills Composite High school team and lead his team with 3.33 kills per set and 0.88 blocks per set. 

Eric Meeuwissen (Western High School), a 6’2” left side from Calgary, Alberta will be enrolled in pre-engineering studies at the College of the Rockies.  “Eric is a versatile player and has excellent ball control skills” said Kamps.  Eric helped his high school win both the City Championship and also the Alberta 4A Provincial Championship.  Eric has been a member of the Canada West Dragons club program for the past four seasons.  “Eric has received some excellent coaching along the way and will be a strong addition to our program”  noted Kamps.

BCCAA All Stars announced

February 24, 2006

The BCCAA announced the provincial all conference team winners and the Avalanche men placed prominently. Colin Poon was named to the 1st team and Derek Rauch to the second team.

Avalanche Men's Results - Provincial Championships

February 23, 2006

The 4th seeded Avs faced 5th seed Okanagan Lakers in a very even matchup in the first round of provincials. The Avs and the Lakers split their league matches back in February so it was anyone's game going into the match.

The Avs picked up the first game win by a score of 25-19, but then lost the next three by scores of 17-25, 21-25 and 18-25 to lose the match and be eliminated from the tournament.

Colin Poon picked up 11 kills in the match, followed by Matt Travers with 9 and Derek Rauch with 8. Blake Giles had a strong game in the libero position, picking up 14 digs.

Avalanche wrap up season at CBC

February 16/2006

The Avs returned from their final double header against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats with mixed results.

Although out of the hunt for a provincial championship berth, the woman hoped to end the season with a couple wins. Unfortunately the team was unable to achieve their goal and dropped both sets in three games. Friday scores for CBC were 25-16, 25-21 and 25-22 and Saturday was 25-20, 25-14 and 25-21.

Brittany Harkess led the team in offensive points with 14 kills, a stuff block and an ace to go along with her 13 digs. Natalie Weir and Lucy Peterson in defensive stats with 19 and 18 digs.

The men were facing a key weekend. With only two points separating the top 5 teams, the men needed both wins to secure a spot at provincials. Although they made it close, they swept both matches, winning 3-1 on Friday (25-16, 17-25, 25-21, 25-10) and 3-2 on Saturday (25-21, 25-27, 20-25, 26-24 and 15-11)

The Avs continue to get strong performances out of their veteran players. Derek Rauch picked up 18 kills, 6 stuff blocks and 4 aces out of the middle. Colin Poon led in power with 27 kills, 5 stuff blocks and an ace while on right side Matt Travers picked up 17 kills, 6 stuff blocks, and two aces.

The Av men will travel to provincial championships on Feb. 22 to 25th, also hosted at CBC.

Avalanche in tough against Camosun

February 8/2006

The Avs took to the road on their longest road trip of the season this past weekend, visiting Camosun College in Victoria.

The women were unable to knock off the Chargers, who were fighting for their first wins of the season. A long road trip and unforced errors contributed to the Avs losing in four sets with scores of 17-25, 25-27, 25-13 and 23-25. The team played a much stronger match on the Saturday, forcing the match to a fifth set tie breaker, but eventually losing the match 15-12.

Agata Bendkowska continues to dominate the Avs offense, posting 34 kills over the weekend matches. Brittany Harkess had a strong weekend with 14 kills, followed by Nadine Riehl with 11 and Laura West with 10. Lucy Peterson and Natalie Weir chalked up 19 digs each, with Peteson also adding 9 kills.

The top six men's team going into the weekend were only separated by four points with Camosun and the Avs tied in the standings for second. The Avs were looking for two wins to secure a spot at provincials. Unfortunately this was not the case as the teams dropped both weekend matches.

Friday saw the Avs go down quickly losing 21-25, 18-25 and 15-25. ON Saturday, the team regrouped and narrowly lost by extra points in the fifth set with scores of 25-20, 16-25, 22-25, 25-23 and 19-21.

Leading the Avs offensively was Colin Poon who tallied 28 kills, four stuff blocks and an ace. Derek Rauch again had a strong attack in the middle with 20 kills, 5 stuff blocks and an ace. Blake Giles had an impressive weekend of balancing offense and defence with 12 kills, a stuff block and 5 aces to go along with his 25 digs.

The Avs have one more game on the road with the teams heading out this weekend to Columbia Bible College. The Av women will not be in a position to make the provincial championships while the men need both wins to secure their post season.

Avalanche host strong Okanagan squads

January 30/2006

Okanagan Lakers, the top female team and 2nd placed men's team were in town this past weekend to challenge our Avs.

The women, hungry for a win for their last home matches battled the Lakers in some very tight matches. The women dropped the Friday match in three straight sets, pushing the Lakers to extra points in the third set. Saturday saw the women start off strong, stealing the first set from the Lakers but dropping the next three to lose the match.

Agata Bendkowska and Lucy Peterson led the team in kills with 13 and 11.

The men went into the match knowing this was a key match up as the five teams were in a scramble to secure second place overall. The Avs couldn't find the way to win and dropped the match in three straight sets with scores of 25-23, 25-23 and 25-17. The tables turned dramatically on Saturday when the men returned to the court. The Avs dominated the match and knocked off the Lakers in three straight sets, winning 25-21, 25-18 and 25-17.

The Avs dominated in the middle with Derek Rauch and Keegan Zuidhof stringing together 22 kills and 7 stuff blocks over the weekend. Colin Poon led the offense with 15 kills followed by Matt Travers with 14.

The Avs now travel for the next two weekends, to Camosun College and Columbia Bible College, followed by a one week break before the Provincial Championships.

Avalanche men earn national ranking

January 25/2006

Thanks to a series of strong wins, the men's Avalanche are now in the top 15 CCAA/Mazda national rankings. The Avs are currently ranked #11 in Canada. Avalanche in tough with Capilano College

January 23/2006

The Avs hosted the Capilano Blues this past weekend. The Blues continue to be one of the stronger programs in the league, and both their men and women were sitting in third spot heading into the weekend.

The women were off to a strong start Friday night, taking the first set off the Blues. Dropping the second set, the women re-focused their efforts and pushed Capilano, narrowly losing the set 30-28. In the end, the Blues were too strong and took the set in four, 22-25, 25-14, 30-28 and 25-13.

Saturday saw the women play in an almost repeat performance. Starting off with a first set win, the Avs were unable to hold off the Blues and lost in four. Scores in this match were 24-26, 25-15, 25-20 and 25-9.

Setter Stephanie Jenkins coordinated a balanced attack throughout the weekend. Agata Bendkowski continues to dominate on the Av attack, tallying up 37 offensive points on the weekend, including 33 kills. Brittany Harkess posted a strong 20 kills, a stuff block and three aces.

The men came out Friday knowing that a win could move them into top position in BC. The men did exactly what they needed to do, and easily knocked off the Blues in three straight sets, winning 25-20, 25-23 and 25-13.

Saturday night would not be as easy for the Avs. The Blues played like a different team altogether. Combined with a night that saw the Avs struggle through a few too many unforced errors and the result went to the Blues in three straight sets, 25-20, 25-16 and 25-22.

Colin Poon and Matt Travers lead in kills with 18 and 17. Blake Giles put 11 kills on the board to go along with his powerful serving throughout the weekend. Defensively, Ryan Hilton played a significant role in the back court digging 21 balls and passing strong both nights.

The Avs will be at home this weekend, January 27 and 28th as they host their final matches of the season against the Okanagan Lakers. Friday night the women take the floor at 6:00 pm, followed by the me at approximately 7:30 pm. Saturday's matches will be matinees with the women starting at 1:00 pm.

Derek Rauch wins Athlete of the Week

January 17/2006

Derek is a 3rd year COTR athlete from Wasa, B.C. He graduated from Selkirk Secondary before attending COTR.  This 6’7” middle blocker had a very productive weekend in two wins vs the visiting College of New Caledonia squad.

In Friday’s 3-0 win over CNC, Derek dominated the match at the net finishing with 8 kills and 1 stuff block. In Saturday’s rematch, CNC played a much better match as the sets were closer. Derek would tally 7 kills and 5 stuffs to help his team win 3-0 and sweep the Kodiaks. Both wins move COTR into a tie for 2nd place with a 6-2 record. Derek finished the weekend with a 43% kill efficiency. He took the momentum away from the Kodiaks with some timely stuffs in the later part of each set. His service was tough all weekend making it difficult for CNC to run their offence.

Next up for the Avalanche is a home series vs the Capilano Blues of North Vancouver.

Avalanche begin second half of the season

January 16/2006

After almost a seven week layoff, the Avs returned to the court to begin the second half of the season, hosting the College of New Caledonia Kodiaks.

The Av women faced a very evenly matched team in the Kodiaks. Friday night saw all three matches stay point for point to 20 before the Kodiaks were able to pull away with the win. The Avs dropped that match 3-0 with scores of 25-20, 25-22 and 25-22.

Saturday saw the Avs come out hard looking for the split. After dropping the first set 25-21, the Avs battled back and were up 24-23 in the second. In the next rally, a CNC player attacked down the line. The ball was called out by the linesman, winning the match for the Avs. The victory was short lived when the umpire overruled the line person, calling the ball in. The Avs struggled to keep their momentum going and the match stretched out until the Kodiaks put it away at 32-30. The Av women weren't able to get the final push they needed and fell 25-22 in the third set.

Agata Bendkowska continued to be the biggest Avalanche threat, posting 27 kills in the six sets. Amanda Bartle put up a solid performance in the middle, tallying 4 stuff blocks along with her 9 kills. Brittany Harkess posted 13 kills over the weekend.

The Avalanche men had no problems getting through their Friday night match up, knocking off the Kodiaks by a score of 25-14, 25-18 and 25-20.

The Kodiaks that returned the next day looked like a completely different team. Despite only having six players with no subs, the Kodiaks played very agressive and determined volleyball, and pushed the Avs much harder than the previous night. Despite this, the Avs were still able to sweep the Kodiaks with scores of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-21.

The Avalanche middles proved to be a big factor in the weekend matchup with Derek Rauch putting up six blocks,15 kills and an ace along with Eden Yesh who added another three blocks to go with his 11 kills and three aces.

The Avs remain at home for the next two weekends, hosting Capilano Blues on January 20/21 and the Okanagan Lakers on January 27/28th.