Women’s volleyball Head Coach Kevin Boyles sold his soul to the devil. Consider the evidence.
This is year three of Boyles’ unholy reign with the Dinos. In all three, Boyles has still never dropped a match to Trinity Western University, a privately funded Christian institution. Coincidence? After two straight
3-0 thumpings in the Jack Simpson Gymnasium it hardly seems like one. Boyles’ minions handed TWU the beating of their lives. In Saturday night’s game, the second set score was 25-6.
"That’s a bit of a silly score, isn’t it," said Boyles with a devilish grin. "In the old days, that would have been 15-0.
"We played some error-free volleyball," he added. "But they didn’t push us. They didn’t come in with a lot of confidence."
How could they? The Spartans have never beaten Calgary and the Dinos [6-0] look stronger than ever. Ranked first in Canada, the team has what resembles a starting 12. Boyles shuffles his lineups on a whim and keeps foes like Trinity guessing which Dinos they’ll have to face on any given night.
"You have to prepare yourself for anything," said libero Erin Turner, named player of the match in Saturday’s massacre. "You never know if you’re going to be on the floor or on the bench."
Turner led the team with 10 digs, while team captain Amanda Moppett had 9 kills. On Friday, freshman Sara Hartman had five kills to Moppett’s six. Another rookie, setter Natalie Schwartz, led the Dinos with six digs on the night.
"I still can’t figure out who our second six is," smiled Boyles. "We probably used seven or eight different lineups this weekend."
Calgary has been very impressive this season, which is both a testament to their skill level and Boyles’ blasphemous cunning. While the Dinos face the University of Regina on the road on Nov. 23 and 24, their biggest challenge will come when they face the defending national champion University of Manitoba Bisons in their last games before Christmas.
Manitoba’s Head Coach, Ken Bentley, sold his soul to get the national title last season and he’s not quite ready to let it go. The Dinos and Bisons traded wins in the preseason and share the Canada West conference lead. Manitoba is ranked second in the nation and this weekend handed Regina a beating just as obscene as the one the Dinos gave TWU.
"We’ve got to be focused on Manitoba," said Turner. "That’s our big game."
Rally Points:
The Gauntlet salutes Joanna Niemczewska who set a good example for troubled teens by not giving into peer pressure. The Dinos rookie is doesn’t wear kneepads on the court like the rest of her team and she won’t change her ways. She’s her own person.