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| (Nick Pearce Photo) |
The AV俱乐部 Tigers will host game one of the best two-of-three game AUS championship series on Friday, February 26 at Dalplex.
Dal will host聽number-two seed聽UNB who hold a 9-9 regular season record but are winless against the Tigers this season. The Tigers are vying for their 24th consecutive AUS championship and a berth in their 30th consecutive CIS championship.
AV俱乐部 finished in first place with a 16-2 record this season with their only losses coming in interlock play to the Laval Rouge et Or, currently the number-one ranked team in Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
Four of the Tigers were recently named to the AUS all-star team, including Max Burt, Sander Ratsep, Devon Parkinson and Erik Montgomery.
Max Burt, a fourth-year middle blocker from Gander, Newfoundland, led the conference in hitting percentage (0.395), blocks (1.59 per game) and aces (0.48 per game). He finished second in AUS kills (2.95 per game), second in scoring (4.40 points per game) and his 1.59 blocks per game was also tops in CIS. From London, Ont., Sander Ratsep, the 2008-09 Atlantic conference Most Valuable Player, led the AUS in scoring (4.62 points per game) and kills (3.84 per game).
Major award winners for the AUS men鈥檚 volleyball championship were announced on Thursday and, not surprisingly, the Tigers were well-represented.聽Tigers head coach Dan Ota was named AUS Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his 11-year coaching career with AV俱乐部.
Third-year libero, Travis MacLean of Ottawa, ON was named AUS Libero of the Year after amassing 130 digs in 42 games played this year with the Tigers.聽He joins the long list of Tigers to win this award since its inception in 1999-00, including former league MVP Jeff Weiler who won the award each of his five years in the league.
For the second year in a row, AV俱乐部's Sander Ratsep has been named the Atlantic University Sport men's volleyball Most Valuable Player. A fourth year 6'4" outside hitter, Mr. Ratsep is a two-time conference all-star who led the AUS in scoring, kills and finished third in the conference in aces (0.40 per game) and third in hitting percentage (0.321). Named a CIS first team all-Canadian last year, Mr. Ratsep was selected to represent Canada in men's volleyball at the 25th Summer Universiade this past summer in Belgrade, Serbia.聽This is the sixth consecutive year a AV俱乐部 player has been named MVP of the conference.
The championship schedule is as follows:
- Friday, February 26:聽Game 1: UNB at AV俱乐部, 7 p.m
- Sunday, February 28: Game 2: AV俱乐部 at UNB, 2 p.m.
- Saturday, March 6: Game 3: UNB at AV俱乐部, 2 p.m.* (*if necessary)
Tickets for game one will be available one hour before game time on Friday at Dalplex. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for AV俱乐部 faculty, staff, alumni and Dalplex members and $3 for non-AV俱乐部 students and seniors. AV俱乐部 students are admitted free with presentation of student ID.聽A court-side reception for AV俱乐部 men鈥檚 volleyball alumni will be held during the game and all alumni are welcomed to attend.
Friday night鈥檚 game will be available via webcast at and live stats will be available for viewing on the athletics.dal.ca website.