Season Preview: Kodiaks Prepared to Take the Next Step

While silver holds some value, it doesn't stack up to the glitter of gold.

That's the lesson the Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks men's volleyball team learned last season and what they're taking into the start of the 2025-26 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) campaign.

Kodiaks are coming off an impressive 17-2 record for second place in the ACAC South Division and a silver medal at the ACAC Championship. Their nemesis throughout last season was eventual ACAC and Canadian Colleges Athletic Conference (CCAA) champion Red Deer Polytechnic Kings.

"Obviously we're now at a point in the program where we're winning medals and we're hungry, and the focus and desire to put a banner on the wall has never been higher," said Kodiaks head coach Greg Gibos. "We've got three silver medals in the last six years and you're just getting so close to that final goal.

"Last year stung even more in the fact Red Deer went on to cruise to a national championship, so we know we're probably one of the top four teams in the country. Alberta just always tends to be one of the toughest provinces to win in men's volleyball."

Kodiaks certainly gave it their best, handing Red Deer its only loss of the season and it came on the Kings' home court.

"Overall, it was a successful season, for sure," said Gibos. "That group really embraced the idea of 'hey, let's enjoy this.' Those seasons are always so special when you've got a group of athletes that truly enjoy being around each other and have that collective goal, so 99.9 per cent made that season successful. We've all come to the gym this year with that .01 per cent that's telling us we want more. We want that last piece."

Kodiaks have lost several key players from last year's squad but, as they say, they're not rebuilding, they're reloading.

"One thing we take pride in is the athletes who come here in their early years and perform really well and end up at a university and play U Sports volleyball as well," said Gibos. "We've had lots of success, lots of guys playing professionally overseas, that's always the goal.

"Now we've got a new group back. I say we're old/young where it's like we've got a bunch of third-years who were part of that team and watched a lot of it, now it's their turn. They're ready, it's not like we're coming in with a bunch of brand-new faces.

"It's a group that's put in the work, they've excelled, they've learned, they've grown, they've taken everything they can in two years and now it's time for them to be the guys on the floor on Friday and Saturday night."

Among the key returnees are setter Ben St. Pierre (fifth year, Open Studies, Red Deer) and Malcolm Fisher (fifth year, General Studies, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute).

"We're really going to rely on those two older voices to buoy us when times get hard," said Gibos. "Volleyball is obviously a momentum sport so just to have that maturity from guys who have been on the court for a long time, they're going to be a critical part of our success."

Another key returnee will be outside hitter Ben Dyck (third year, Agricultural Sciences, Coaldale), who stepped in last year after Shaye Wall (fourth year, Bachelor of Ecosystem Management, Swift Current, Sask.) tore his ACL early in the season.

"Ben was a young guy on an older team, and I thought he handled that pressure really well," said Gibos. "Now it's time for him to keep evolving, so we're going to rely on him."

David Kindley (fourth year, Environmental Assessment and Restoration, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute) will also add some maturity to a younger squad.

"David is another underrated aspect of our roster," said Gibos. "He played at Waterloo and then decided that he wanted to come back closer to home and have that experience."

Gibos added there are also several freshmen who will have the opportunity to contribute, including outside hitter Corny Bergen (first year, Business Administration, Picture Butte).

"Corny is obviously someone who can make a major impact on the floor, who's a Picture Butte boy who has lots of ties to the area," said Gibos. "He's one of the best players in the province for his age group. Corny was on our Canada Games team that won a gold medal in volleyball for Alberta. It just shows you the quality of athletes that are choosing to come here."

Other newcomers include middle blockers Tristan Iwanczuk (first year, Business, Catholic Central) and Oliver Billyard (first year, Business Administration, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute).

"They're two young middles, they're sponges just soaking in everything that we're telling them, really trying to grow," said Gibos. "They're pushing that older group of middles."

If a 14-3 preseason record is any indication, the Kodiaks should be headed for success once again.

"If you told me we'd be 14-3 after losing the number of players from last year I would have been jumping up and down celebrating," said Gibos. "It's the work they're putting in. They're a really motivated group, they're hungry every day." 

Red Deer will again be one of the teams to beat this season as the Kings return several players from last season's championship team. The North Division will again be led by Keyano, NAIT, who will be hosting CCAA nationals, and Lakeland. 

"Because we're hosting nationals this year as a conference, teams have loaded up, so there's lots of opportunity for some great teams. I'd like to consider ourselves as part of that group.

"We might be a bit younger than some of those other programs, but I think we're definitely catching them with some of the ceiling we have in the gym this year."

Kodiaks open ACAC regular season play against Concordia University on Oct. 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.