Men's club volleyball takes third at nationals

By Mike Ferdinandi

The Broncos, led by Junior Captains Scott Almassy and Thomas O'Keefe, reached the semifinals for the second-straight year in the National Intramural Sports and Recreation Association collegiate volleyball club sport championships in Charlotte, N.C.

The seeding in the tournament was different from what many anticipated. All year long, Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., dominated, and was expected to be the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Considering strength of schedule, key wins and overall ability, the Broncos were expecting to receive a No. 2 seed in the tournament. However, when the brackets came out, Santa Clara was given the No. 1 seed.

"We would have been okay with the No. 2 seed and expected to receive it," O'Keefe said. "When we learned that we had been given the No. 1, the team was shocked."

While cruising into the semifinals, the Broncos faced Ohio Northern University, a team led by four seniors determined to add a national championship to their record.

After losing the first game 21-25, the Broncos lost freshman setter Jason Kennedy, who injured his shoulder early but remained in the game.

The veteran squad of Ohio Northern took advantage of the Bronco injury and won the second game 23-25 and continued on to the championship game where they lost to Carthage.

Observers say the team has established itself as a reputable force, not only within their club league but also against Division I schools.

Their schedule included several highly ranked NCAA Division I teams. Throughout the course of their season, they faced Fresno State; Cal Poly; and the University of California, Davis; all of which are ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

Their strength of schedule largely contributed to the team's success in the postseason, players said.

A victory over California boosted the team to a No. 1 ranking in their division and earned them respect from their competitors.

The victory gave the team a tremendous boost, not only in the rankings, but also in morale.

à"Beating Cal gave us a good outlook for the tournament," Almassy said.

The team's trip to nationals was not without its challenges. The Broncos saw five seniors graduate last year and brought in seven newcomers to the program this season.

"We initially thought this to be a rebuilding year," Almassy said.

And if the challenges of inexperience were not enough, the Broncos' head coach Jason Chapin, who played a large role in building the program to national prominence according to team members, had to quit in the preseason to go back to school.

They were then led by Bryan Heath, who was only present for one week before he was transferred.

Scott Petersen, who was previously involved at Bellarmine High School, took over as head coach.

O'Keefe and Almassy both embraced the challenges of being the leaders of a young team.

"Scott pulled a lot of weight off the court and I pulled a lot of weight on the court," said O'Keefe of their roles as captains.

Almassy and O'Keefe along with several other team members were honored for their efforts.

Both Almassy and O'Keefe earned First Team All American Honors for their respected positions of libero (defensive specialist) and outside hitter. Sophomore outside hitter Brian Bollinger and law student Robert Stamps, who plays opposite both earned Second Team All-American honors. Freshman setter Jason Kennedy received an honorable mention.

Next year, the team is looking to fulfill the expectations that will come with their No. 1 ranking they hope to receive.

They are likely to be considered the team to beat next season.

The victors of this year's tournament, Carthage, will be moving into Division I and Ohio Northern will be graduating its four starting seniors.

The Broncos will be returning all of their players, who will be that much more experienced for competition next year.

The expected return of Chapin will benefit the team, as they look to repeat their championship performance in 2005.