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The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 25
Sports
Men’s volleyball future in the hands of Gunter
WolfPack rookie hopes to recover from injury in time to try out for Team Canada and go into next season continuing to “hit a world class ball” Nathan Crosby
managed to bring TRU volleyball to relevancy in the CIS. It was coach Hennelly who compared the two. Now that TRU There wasn’t a cloud in the sky is seeing players retire after five on the first warm day of spring years of playing, Gunter will be in Kamloops and students were the player to watch lead the ‘Pack walking around TRU in shorts. into a contender. But Brad Gunter was trapped “He’s hitting a world-class ball inside writing a math midterm. as a first-year guy. Whether he’s When asked how it went, he rerealizes it or not, he’s doing it,” plied in his usual soft-spoken and Hennelly said. to-the-point manner. “He comes down, has that little “Not bad.” smirk on his face and I don’t even One can assume there’s a lot on know if he realizes how good of a Gunter’s mind these days. hit he made.” Since being named to the CIS Hennelly, who has coached the all-rookie team, the Wolf Pack’s men’s volleyball team since joinphonemenal right outside-hitter ing the CIS, goes back with Gunthas a lot going on in his life. er a couple of years. He coached Final exams are approaching the young Courtenay product faster than a Colin Carson pass. twice with Team B.C. and said if There are also the tryouts for the there’s anything he trusts about National Junior Team that have Gunter’s game, it’s his instincts. Gunter occupied while he recovThe Wolf Pack got to match up ers from the injured ankle that with the Stanford University in forced him to stop short in his exhibition play over the semester sensational rookie year. break and it cerThe big six-foottainly was one of seven, 205-pound Gunter’s favourite right-side hitter memories of the from Courtenay, year. B.C. was one of the Here is a NCAA shining lights in a Division I school lost men’s volleythat was ranked as ball season. high as third in the TRU finished nation at one point last in the treachand TRU took them erous Canada —Brad Gunter to a 35-33 game, the West. Gunter sat equivalent of what out most of Januwould seem like ary with his injury “I think he’s got a good head three overtimes in hockey. and the Wolf Pack finished with “We played some of our best a 3-17 record and lost eight of its on his shoulders and he’s got a strong sense of work ethic,” the volleyball against them,” Gunter last nine. said. “It was painful sitting on the Wolf Pack coach said. “It was awesome comparing “I had high expectations of sidelines watching us lose knowing that I could have done some- Brad and he exceeded them in the the two teams because they are a huge school.” first semester.” thing,” he said. Gunter spent the games In Gunter’s first-ever game, Gunter’s terrific first half of the season had him ninth in total he had five kills on 19 attempts matched up with Brad Lawson kills at the semester break in the against Calgary. The next night, and Brian Cook, two of the top he had 13 kills on 34 attempts. players in the USA.. Canada West. But the kid from Cour tenay He would finish the season av- In a game on Remembrance Day eraging three kills a game, which in Regina, he had 20 kills on 36 made Silicon Valley stop and attempts. Even against a tough take a look. was 16th overall. “You could see [Stanford] The Wolf Pack won its third Manitoba team, he put up 15 looking at him like, ‘who’s this game of the season the same kills. “Typically when you put a kid?’ as they looked at the rosnight Gunter went down. It was the second match against UBC in first-year guy out there, for every ter,” coach Hennelly said. “At one point I looked at their one weekend and TRU won three kill they make they are probably straight sets after losing the first. going to make one or two mis- coach and he was shaking his head saying, ‘wow that was a He went for the kill and landed takes,” coach Hennelly said. “Brad, like Gord [Perrin], got good hit that guy just made.’ awkwardly. Stanford is a legitimate team “It all happened so fast,” he past that fast.” Hennelly is referring to former with big-size guys and Brad said. “The set was hung inside and Wolf Pack outside hitter Gord was one of the best guys on the I had to adjust to it and I landed Perrin, who is the program’s all- f loor.” As bright as the second half on someone’s foot. I came down, time leader in kills. Perrin also I was kind of dazed and I tried came from a small B.C. town and of the season looked for Gunter, to get up and I realized I couldn’t put any weight on my foot.” He would sit on the side for the next three weeks while his team fell quickly out of the playoff race with losses to Brandon and Saskatchewan. He would see action in the last weekend against UBCO, which head coach Pat Hennelly admitted was rushed. Wolf Pack fans, however, got a glimpse of who the new “big dog,’ as coach Hennelly called him, in the Canada West will be in the very near future. Back home, Gunter’s father owns a meat-cutting shop. During semester break, Brad works for his dad skinning hogs and carrying sides of beef. While most students go home for the holidays to ski, party and catch up with friends, Gunter is working. It’s that hard-working persona that has coach Hennelly excited.
Ω Sports Editor
“I hope to be at the top, and the next couple of years are looking pretty good.”
The coyote atop the Brown Family House of Learning perhaps lending some extra bite to the man who might be the future of WolfPack men’s volleyball?
—PHOTO BY TAYLOR ROCCA
bad luck got in the way. The ankle injur y suffered at UBC gave him a lot of time to think about the future of the ‘Pack and where he f its into it. He has star ted practicing with his teammates and said that the healing process is going well. That ankle will be healed in time for Gunter to tr y out for the Canada National Junior Team, with tr youts expected to star t in June. If all goes to plan, according to Hennelly, he should have no problem making the team despite missing a large chunk of
the 2011-2012 schedule. Still, Gunter’s optimism and work ethic will become the biggest factor for the men’s volleyball team’s success, and he’s ready to make it happen. “I hope to be at the top, and the next couple of years are looking pretty good,” he said. It’s goi ng t o b e a bu sy su mme r for G u nt e r a nd he a d coa ch Pat He n nel ly, but i f t h is ro ok ie se a son showe d Wol fPa ck fa n s a ny t h i ng, it’s t h at t he f ut u re is sh i n i ng a s br ig ht a s t he f i r st d ay of s pr i ng i n K a m lo ops.
Congratulations to all the 2011-2012 TRU WolfPack Awards winners and nominees Male winner: Chas Kok (basketball) Nominees: Adam Dodgson (soccer), Kyle Sandulescu (baseball), Andrew Fisher (hockey), Joey Chu (badminton), Colin Carson (volleyball), Josh Oostenbrink (cross country) Female winner: Diane Schuetze (basketball) Nominees: Anna Arduni (badminton), Rowena DeBruyn (cross country), Katarina Osadchuk (volleyball), Alanna Bekkering (soccer)
TRU Sports Task Force Athlete of the Year (Grades, Athlete and Community Involvement):
Dr. Roger H. Barnsley Scholar/ Athlete Award:
Athlete of the Year:
TRU Wolf Pack Appreciation Award Brad Pape (head coach badminton)
Male winner: Alex Condon (baseball) Nominees: Spencer Reed (volleyball), David Gore (hockey), Conor Doherty (soccer), Chas Kok (basketball), Dan Drynan (cross country) Female winner: Ashley Piggot (soccer) Nominees: Amanda Frayne (volleyball), Rowena DeBruyn (cross country), Jessica Heitmann (cheerleading), Jorri Duxbury (basketball), Kia Lidster (badminton)
Inaugural Tyler Lowey Award Tyler Lowey (baseball)
Male winner: Andrew Fisher (hockey) Nominees: Mike Hawkins (volleyball), Kevin Pribilsky (basketball), Alex Condon (baseball), Brynden Swint (soccer) Female winner: Jen Ju (basketball) Nominees: Katelyn Lohr (cheerleading), Marlee Mertens (badminton), Kara Twomey (volleyball), Laura Smylie (soccer)