Four Golden Bears added to Junior National Team

EDMONTON - Months after five former Alberta Golden Bear volleyball players were named to Canada’s senior national team, Volleyball Canada has announced the junior national team roster, which lists four current members of the University of Alberta Golden Bears volleyball team.

Tristan Aubry and Jay Olmstead, both of Edmonton, as well as Matthew McCreary, who is originally from Calgary, all made the junior national team as players, while Golden Bears assistant coach Brad Poplawski was named to the coaching staff.

Aubry is entering his third season with the Bears after the former Alberta provincial team member joined in 2008-09, winning a national championship as a rookie.

Olmstead and McCreary are both sophomore players for Alberta, and were two of head coach Terry Danyluk’s top recruits heading into the 2009-10 season.

Poplawski, also from Edmonton, is entering his fifth season with Alberta after joining the U of A program from Grant MacEwan College in 2006 as a manager. He has since worked his way to an assistant coach position, being a part of the program that garnered two national championship titles (2008 and 2009) and four Canada West conference titles.

The purpose of the Junior National Team Program is to identify, select, and train a group of young athletes who have future Senior National Team potential and offer them the opportunity to train and represent Canada in international competition at an earlier age. The intent of the program is to train for and compete in the 2010 NORCECA Junior Men’s Continental Championships as well as in the 2011 World Championship.

The team will train together until mid-August at the National Training Centre and then compete in the 2010 Junior NORCECA Championship in Gatineau, Québec from August 14-22.

Named to Canada's senior men's team in May were several former Golden Bears: Dallas Soonias (Red Deer, Alta.), Nicholas Cundy (Edmonton), Brock Davidiuk (Edmonton), Alexandre Gaumont-Casias (Mareville, Que), and Adam Kaminski (Chatham, Ont.).

Source:

Alberta Sports Info