Broncos Men's Volleyball Travels to Quebec

Benefitting from their early flight, the team arrived in Ottawa just in time to catch one of the World Juniors Hockey Games and afterwards wasted no time getting a true Canadian poutine. The following four days were spent in Gatineau, Que. where the team practiced at and played Cegep L'Outaouais twice. Cegep L'Outaouais men's volleyball is currently ranked #4 in the country providing an excellent challenge for the Broncos. In the first game against L'Outaouais on Dec. 27, they lost 0-3. However, in the second game on Dec. 28 they won 3-1! Although winning in their rematch was a highlight itself, another exciting part of the match up was the opportunity to play at the Sportif De Gatineau where the National Men's Volleyball Team trains. The next day they played the University of Ottawa and won 3-0. Beyond their time on the court, they spent their four days in Gatineau and Ottawa exploring the beautiful cities and had what was described as "the best ice cream store in the Nation… Chocolats Favoris!"

The next part of their trip was spent in Montreal from Dec. 30, 2024 to Jan. 2, 2025. The time in Montreal was a rest from playing and the team spent four days relaxing, focusing on team building and exploring some of the city. They attended the incredible Cirque Du Soleil, visited the stunning Notre Dame Basilica and toured Old Montreal where they rang in the New Year at a family concert. 

After a relaxing and team-focused four days, they travelled to Quebec City for the last leg of their trip to compete in the Coup de l'Est du Canada tournament hosted by Cégep Limoilou. Throughout the tournament, they played six games and won five with only one round robin game lost. This resulted in the Olds College Broncos winning the tournament! On top of the gold medal victory and bringing a banner home, three players won awards at the tournament — Aidyn Phillips and Matheus Franca were recognized as All-Stars and Sean Vanderzee was awarded the Tournament MVP! 

Ending their time in Eastern Canada with such an incredible win was the perfect finish to an exciting trip. The success on the court was fantastic to see, but the importance and value of a team experience like this goes beyond on-court success.

"This was an amazing team building experience. We played and trained a lot over the 12 days, which were highly beneficial, but it was the cultural experience and team building that these guys will remember for the rest of their lives," said Head Coach Ryan Marsden. "With any trip like this, it came with many obstacles... I am super proud of the guys on how they pivoted to come up with solutions. We became extremely tight as a group and are ready for the challenge of playing seven weekends in a row in league play and our seeking to accomplish our goal of medaling at ACAC Championships — something we have fell short in doing these last two years."

The momentum from the men's volleyball trip carried into the season as they won their first two games back against SAIT. The weekend after, they lost two hard fought battles against Briercrest. Continuing their tough schedule this past weekend, they played the top team in the ACAC South, the Lethbridge Kodiaks. After two close competitive matches, they lost both games. The men's volleyball team has three more weekends left where they look to finish strong and then it's time for the ACAC playoffs. 

Come cheer them and the women's volleyball team on at their final home games of the year and see them battle hard for a strong finish!

Final Home Games:

Jan. 31 | 6 p.m. (W)  8 p.m. (M)

Feb. 7 | 6 p.m. (W) 8 p.m. (M)

Feb. 8 | 1 p.m. (W) 3 p.m. (M)

Feb. 14 | 6 p.m. (W) 8 p.m. (M)