Photo credit Josh Schaefer Photography

OTTAWA (CIS) – Canadian Interuniversity Sport, in conjunction with Volleyball Canada, announced on Wednesday the student-athletes and staff members who will represent Canada in men’s volleyball at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea (July 3-14).

Gwangju 2015 website: www.gwangju2015.com
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/summer/2015/index

The roster is comprised of 12 of the 14 players named last month to the Canadian junior team following a selection camp at the National Training Centre in Gatineau, Que. Of the group, 11 played at the CIS level this past season, while the other starred in the CEGEP league and is considered one of the top prospects in the country.  

“It is a wonderful opportunity for our junior athletes to experience a multi-sports game event. I’m sure it will be a fantastic experience from many perspectives, and the volleyball competition will certainly be of a high level,” said Canadian head coach John Barrett from the University of Toronto.   

While it will mark his first experience as a coach at the world university games, Barrett competed at the biennial event as a player in 1983 in Edmonton and in 1985 in Kobe, Japan.

At the 28th Summer Universiade, he will be accompanied on the sidelines by Vincenzo Mallia, an assistant coach with the U of T’s women’s program. Team leader Joanie Beauregard-Veillette and therapist Luc Campbell, both from Volleyball Canada, round out the support staff.

All players on the red and white roster will make their Universiade debut in Gwangju. They hope to extend the nation’s success streak in men’s volleyball as Canada has reached the quarter-final round at each of the past four Universiades, including a fifth-place finish in 2013 in Kazan, Russia. Over the years, the Canucks have claimed two FISU medals in the sport, taking second place on home soil in 1983 and in Bangkok in 2007.

The University of British Columbia will be the top represented school in South Korea with three players, including setter Byron Keturakis and outside hitter Irvan Brar, both from Surrey, B.C., as well as middle Joel Regehr of Courtenay, B.C.

For their part, the reigning CIS champions and CIS bronze medallists are both represented by a pair of standouts, including left side Ryan Nickifor of Sherwood Park, Alta., and middle Arran Chambers of Edmonton from the Alberta Golden Bears, and outside hitters Brandon Koppers of Georgetown, Ont., and Andrew Richards of London, Ont., from the McMaster Marauders.

Rounding out the lineup are outside hitters Lucas Coleman (Brooklin, Ont.) from Ryerson, Blake Scheerhorn (Belleville, Ont.) from Trinity Western, Arthur Szwarc (Toronto) from York and Keith West (Lethbridge, Alta.) from Calgary, as well as setter Gabriel Chancy (Montreal) from CEGEP Saint-Jérôme, who will make his university debut this fall with the Montreal Carabins.

In Gwangju, Canada will compete in Pool B in the preliminary round against Iran (July 2), Thailand (July 3), Russia (July 6) and Switzerland (July 7). The powerful Russians are reigning three-time Universiade champions.

The gold-medal final of the 22-team competition is scheduled for July 12.

TEAM CANADA ROSTER   
           
Pos.     Name                           HT                   School                         Hometown
S          Gabriel Chancy            6-2                   CEGEP Saint-Jérôme   Montreal, Que.
S          Byron Keturakis          6-7                   UBC                            Surrey, B.C.
OH       Irvan Brar                    6-2                   UBC                            Surrey, B.C.
OH       Lucas Coleman            6-4                   Ryerson                       Brooklin, Ont.
OH       Brandon Koppers        6-7                   McMaster                     Georgetown, Ont.
LS        Ryan Nickifor              6-7                   Alberta                         Sherwood Park, Alta.
OH       Andrew Richards         6-3                   McMaster                     London, Ont.
OH       Blake Scheerhorn        6-8                   Trinity Western            Belleville, Ont.
OH       Arthur Szwarc              6-10                 York                            Toronto, Ont.
OH       Keith West                   6-4                   Calgary                        Lethbridge, Alta.
M         Arran Chambers          6-8                   Alberta                         Edmonton, Alta.
M         Joel Regehr                  6-7                   UBC                            Courtenay, B.C.          

STAFF                                                                                               

Position                       Name                           Affiliation                    Hometown
Head Coach                 John Barrett                 University of Toronto  Toronto, Ont.
Assistant Coach           Vincenzo Mallia          University of Toronto  Pachino, Italy
Team Leader                Joanie Beauregard-Veillette    Volleyball Canada       Rouyn-Noranda, Que.
Therapist                      Luc Campbell              Volleyball Canada       Ottawa, Ont.   

UNIVERSIADE POOLS & TEAM CANADA SCHEDULE (LOCAL TIME):

Pool A: South Korea, Czech Republic, Australia, USA, Argentina, Taiwan
Pool B: Russia, CANADA, Thailand, Switzerland, Iran
Pool C: Japan, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Colombia, Venezuela
Pool D: Ukraine, Latvia, Mexico, China, United Arab Erimates

July 2 (18:00): Canada vs. Iran
July 3 (11:00): Canada vs. Thailand
July 6 (13:00): Canada vs. Russia
July 7 (15:00): Canada vs. Switzerland
July 9 (TBD): Quarter-finals
July 10 (18:00/20:00): Semi-finals
July 12 (14:00): Bronze
July 12 (20:00): Final

CANADA’S ALL-TIME UNIVERSIADE RESULTS IN MEN’S VOLLEYBALL:

2013 (Kazan, Russia): 5th / 20 teams               (champions: Russia)
2011 (Shenzhen, China): 4th / 21                     (champions: Russia)
2009 (Belgrade, Serbia): 6th / 22                      (champions: Russia)
2007 (Bangkok, Thailand): 2nd / 23                 (champions: Turkey)
2005 (Izmir, Turkey): 10th / 24                        (champions: Turkey)
2003 (Daegu, South Korea): 7th / 23                (champions: South Korea)
2001 (Beijing, China): 14th / 27                       (champions: USA)
1999 (Palma, Spain): 23rd / 24                         (champions: Germany)
1997 (Sicily, Italy): 10th / 16                            (champions: South Korea)
1995 (Fukuoka, Japan): 7th / 27                       (champions: South Korea)
1993 (Buffalo, USA): 6th / 18                          (champions: Japan)
1991 (Sheffield, England): 8th / 16                  (champions: Poland)
1989 (Duisburg, Germany): No tournament    -
1987 (Zagreb, Yugoslavia): 11th / 25               (champions: Yugoslavia)
1985 (Kobe, Japan): 5th / 17                            (champions: Japan)
1983 (Edmonton, Canada): 2nd / 23                 (champions: Cuba)
1981 (Bucharest, Romania): 6th / 28                (champions: Romania)
1979 (Mexico City, Mexico): 6th / 23               (champions: South Korea)
1977 (Sofia, Bulgaria): 13th / 23                      (champions: Bulgaria)
1975 (Rome, Italy): No tournament                 -
1973 (Moscow, USSR): 15th / 23                     (champions: USSR)
1970 (Turin, Italy): 6th / 19                              (champions: Italy)
1967 (Tokyo, Japan): 6th / 7                            (champions: Japan)
1965 (Budapest, Hungary): Canada DNP        (champions: USSR)
1963 (Porto Alegre, Brazil): Canada DNP       (champions: USSR)
1961 (Sofia, Bulgaria): Canada DNP              (champions: Romania)
1959 (Turin, Italy): Canada DNP                    (champions: Czechoslovakia)

DNP: Did not participate

About the Summer Universiade

The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.

About Volleyball Canada

Volleyball Canada is the National Sport Organization for volleyball, and has approximately 64,000 registered participants. Volleyball Canada fosters the growth and development of the sport in Canada, and oversees the national programs for indoor, beach and sitting volleyball.  For more information, see www.volleyball.ca