Underdog Kamloops team wins national volleyball bronze

EDMONTON — Head coach Matt Lofgren made sure to note this national bronze medal comes without fine print, no tiering subterfuge that turns also-rans into medallists.

The Kamloops Volleyball Association Pack placed third at the under-18 Volleyball Canada Youth National Championships earlier this week in Edmonton.

“This is legit third place, third in the country,” said Lofgren, whose club was ranked seventh heading into the tournament, which featured 96 teams.

“It’s pretty insane for a small town like Kamloops.”

The No. 7-ranked Pack knocked off the Essor Titans in the bronze-medal match, besting the top-ranked Quebec club at the tournament 15-12 in the third-and-deciding set.

“We had a strong team,” said Lofgren, whose Pack won silver at provincials. “On paper, we overachieved, but we knew we were capable.”

Pakmen Gold of Ontario, who dispatched Kamloops 2-0 in semifinal action, won the national title with a straight-sets victory over Nooks of Alberta in the championship match.

The Pack featured eight players who helped the South Kamloops Titans win gold at the senior boys’ provincial volleyball championship last year in Langley – Brandon Johnson, Rowan MacPherson, Carter Dundass, Noah Henson, Gavin MacGregor, Alex Howard, Keenan Brulotte and Huxley Wendland.

Howard was named a tournament all-star.

Reid McCauley of Westysde secondary and three players from Vernon – James Reuss (Kalamalka secondary), Devon Sales-Parno (Kalamalka) and Oliver Profili (W.L. Seaton) — round out the roster, along with assistant coaches Angus Ireland and Graham MacGregor.

“We knew we had to catch fire at the right time – and we did,” Lofgren said.