University of Toronto Athletics

Year In Review

Before I get going I would like to extend my congratulations to Steve, Jessi, and Mike for their deserved award recognition this season. Good work boys, It has been a pleasure to share the court with you fellas. 

It has been a while since the season has ended so I’ve had a while to conjure some thoughts up. I think I’ll do a personal season-in-review. So here are a few highs and lows and various other events worth mentioning from the 2008-2009 Men’s Volleyball Season: 

Match of the Year: Varsity Blues – 3 Marauders – 2. I don’t think many of the other boys will have a problem agreeing with me on this one. Everyone brought their A-game that night. Mike Dingwall played like a man possessed, as I recall, and everyone was in the zone. Every time Mac slipped, we made them pay. The crowd was great. The sports gym was bumpin’ from opening set to final whistle. It was fun to watch too, back and forth action all the way to the fifth set. 

Meeting of the Year: Hands down that two hour marathon in the hotel in Waterloo. No stone was left unturned after a disappointing fourth set loss just hours earlier. It came complete with a pair of pseudo-adjournments and an awkward silence or two. Eighteen sweaty grown men in a hotel room, for that period of time, does not lend well to the senses either. 

Low Point of the Year: Vs. Ryerson @ Ryerson, January 18th. I need not say more. 

Bus Ride of the Year: The way home from Windsor. While waiting for some stragglers at our pit stop, Ed realizes that the doors to the compartments underneath the bus are wide open. Turns out the boys, who shall remain nameless, who were responsible for the water bottles put them in the compartments and the bus driver forgot to shut them. I was the bright light in the group and carried-on the equipment that I was responsible for. So we go cruising around Windsor looking for our long-lost water bottles. There were only a few survivors. To cap it all off, a large portion of us were entertained by Brad’s intriguing stories about his adventures in Ethiopia. 

Play of the Year: Kung’s match-ending block in the fourth set against Waterloo at home on January 9th. No contest. We were up 30-29 in the set and 2-1 in the match. Steve absolutely roofs the Warriors’ right-side, solo to boot, and closes out the match. No Sir! 

Celebration of the Year: This one goes to Killian. The very first point of the third set against Western at home. He tallied an emphatic stuff block on the side-out attempt. He made his enthusiasm known by bounding around the court hammering out fist pumps at an excessive rate. Talk about intensity. 

Meal of the Year: At Harbord House, the night of the world junior semi-final. A few of the crew kicked back over Christmas break and enjoyed some world class hockey upstairs at the Harbord House. I think the exciting game pulled even with the delicious trout and sweet potato fries, second only to Mavor’s in Charlottetown. Great hockey and great food takes this one home for Harbord House. 

Official of the Year: Jessi. For letting everybody know which linesman screwed up, and sometimes by exactly how much (Jessi holds up two fingers, in the manner that you would pick up a tiny object and says “This much”). 

Rookie of the Year: Me. Since Mike already got an OUA rookie award, I get the Woodside Word rookie award. The panel of experts here at the Woodside Word have spent a lot of time on this decision and pride themselves in integrity and accuracy. If any of you other rookies think you had a better season than me, tough luck. You can win an award when you get your own blog and do your own season-in-review. 

Coach of the Year: Derek. For telling you like it is, for appearing 110% serious when really he’s totally joking, for coming on every road trip, for having disproportionately large feet, and most of all, for thinking his Seneca team could actually take the Blues. Psshhh, like really... 

The under-21 league has just started up so our break wasn’t too long. I have Canada Games this summer, so I’ll do a couple of posts from back on the red mud while that’s going on (PEI is hosting this year!). ‘Till something exciting happens in U-21... 

Woodside Out.