EDMONTON — Mitch Irvine may be missing out on a shot for a volleyball national championship due to the RDC King’s early exit, but that didn’t stop him from collecting the top individual volleyball award in the country.
On Wednesday night at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association awards banquet in Edmonton, Irvine was named men’s volleyball player of the year.
“It was a huge, huge surprise, I don’t really know how to explain it,” said Irvine, 20. “I’m really excited, it feels phenomenal.”
Irvine was the ACAC Provincial Division leader in service aces with 59 in 79 sets this season and was second in kills with 290, but he was also the undisputed leader on a team that finished first in the ACAC with a 9-1 mark.
Their untimely collapse in the playoffs is not something the second year right side power out of Notre Dame High School is choosing to dwell on.
“This was the closest team I have been on in forever,” said Irvine.
“It is too bad it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to, but we’re still best of friends, we still see each other all the time still. That means more to me than a national championship.”
Irvine was also earlier named an all-Canadian for the second year in a row, but he will not be back in an attempt to earn the hat trick, with a spot on the University of Alberta squad awaiting him next season.
“I am really excited for the challenge next year,” he said. “Hopefully it’s just another stepping stone in the right direction.”
While thanking his family and teammates he underlined the impact his coach Aaron Schuhla had on his development at Red Deer College.
“I haven’t played for a better coach, ever. He’s taught me a lot,” said Irvine. “My game improved mentally more than anything. I just focused on the mental errors I was making instead of just hitting the ball every time that I could. There was more focus on what I could do to keep the ball in play and keep everything rolling.”
jaldrich@www.reddeeradvocate.com