Over the weekend the men’s volleyball team treated the slightly more-lowly Regina Cougars to a 6-0 beating. Big deal. I am happy for the Dinos, but I hope that beating the Cougars doesn’t serve as false confidence or a sign of being “back on track.” Beating Regina never really means anything. Losing to Regina means you are hurting. The Dinos aren’t hurting. Yet.
The scenario right now is that the Dinos are tied for fifth and four points out of fourth, with four matches left. The stirring part of it is that those matches are against the teams who most need to keep the Dinos down. This weekend the Red-on-Red travel to Winnipeg to play the team they are tied for fifth with, at seven points each. Each win is worth two points because it is interdivisional play, so the boys could make up the four points they are behind Trinity Western if the Spartans lose both. Considering they play at Alberta, the only undefeated team in the conference, this will likely happen, setting up a match in Langley next weekend against the team the Dinos will then be tied for fourth place with.
The winner will host the first round of playoffs and likely get a higher national ranking, which will in the end decide which of the first round losers gets into the fifth Canada West berth at nationals in Edmonton. At nationals you can beat anyone on a good night, but Regina won’t be there. I can guarantee that. So, a message to the boys on the volleyball squad: Beating Regina kept you alive, but keep in mind a team composed of select players from the stands on any given night could beat Regina. Like the headline says, you haven’t proven that you are a championship team yet. You have two weeks to complete that mission, should you choose to accept it. This letter would self-destruct in ten seconds, but the Gauntlet editors wouldn’t let me endanger our faithful readers.