Trojans are the team to beat

Fort Garry

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This article was published 25/10/2023 (694 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the battle for varsity boys volleyball supremacy, the Vincent Massey Trojans remain a formidable foe.

“This group knows they have a target on their back, so to speak,” said head coach Marshall Jones. “We want to keep them motivated, keep them prepared.”

At press time, the Vincent Massey Collegiate boys volleyball team was the top-ranked team in Manitoba. Ahead of an Oct. 23 game against Stonewall, the Trojans were undefeated in West Winnipeg Athletic Conference Tier 1 regular season play. The Trojans also took home championships from the University of Winnipeg Invitational on Sept. 16, the Daniel McIntyre varsity boys tourney on Sept. 29, and the Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute tournament on Oct. 14.

The team is led by Grade 12 players Morgan Eby, Shay McKim, Everett Smith, Mitchell Strilchuk, Keon Torz, and Owen Weekes, all of whom were part of the varsity team that made last year’s provincial semifinals. That core group is bolstered by eight Grade 11 players who made last year’s junior varsity semifinals. Collectively, the team’s success on the court is the result of years of hard work and playing together.

“We’re pairing two successful groups together. The skill level is high, super-competitive, everyone fighting for playing time. They’re a dream group, from a coaching perspective. They’re also thoughtful, kind kids, good students,” said Jones, who has coached volleyball at Vincent Massey for 14 years.

The Grade 12s on the team were also part of the provincial program this past summer, after winning the U17 national club title in June as part of the Junior Bisons program.

“We’re really benefitting from good development, at community, club and high school level,” Jones added. “There’s a whole pile of people going into their success, and they’ve really flourished the last 18 months. That Grade 11 group is the same, and they’re thirsty to fight for playing time. I’m the benefactor at the end of the food chain.”

On the court, the Trojans are an imposing bunch, all measuring six-feet or more.

“In high school, that’s a huge advantage,” Jones said. “The big thing, their volleyball IQ is very high. They ask lots of questions, challenge coaches on some decision-making more than any team we’ve had. They’ve faced high-level competition, so they’re comfortable in high-stress games. It’s a well-balanced attack, we can score points in different ways. We also can be quite strong as a serve-receive team, which allows us to do more on offence.”

With the second half of the high school season on the horizon, and berths for provincial playoffs on the line, Jones said the challenge for the Trojans now is to stay healthy, humble, and focused on the task at hand.

“It’s hard to keep a group grounded that just won a national championship,” Jones said. “We set some goals in September, and we’ve kept them at the forefront, to keep them on task and focused.”