Kings 3 Kodiaks 0
Queens 3 Kodiaks 0
The second semester represents a fresh start for the newest Red Deer College Kings men’s volleyball player, Nic Dubinsky.
Dubinsky was a member of the Lethbridge College Kodiaks team last year that was booted from the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference after 10 of their 14 members were found to be in violation of the league’s code of conduct in regards to the use of recreational drug MDMA.
Names of players involved in the violation were never released, but it ended the season for the entire team. It was the first time in ACAC history that such measures had to be taken.
Dubinsky, a two-time ACAC second team all-star at the power position, spent the year back home in Calgary. But over Christmas he joined the Kings and made his debut in a weekend sweep of his old program, including a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-13) win on Saturday at Red Deer College.
“Everyone has been awesome. I came to the first practice and right away ... they welcomed me in,” said the fourth-year outside hitter. “Aaron Schulha is a great coach, he runs a very high level, very professional squad and it’s great to be able to come into it ... and it’s back to business.”
Getting kicked out of the league at the beginning of November was devastating for Dubinsky and his teammates. For the first time in years, the Kodiaks were nationally-ranked in the first set of Canadian Colleges Athletic Association rankings, and there was a buzz about the program. But it was also the fact he had something he loved ripped away from him.
He spent the season instead managing a bar and restaurant in Calgary and playing rec league to stay in touch with the game.
“It was depressing, this was the sport that I love and had played my whole life, like it was for a lot of the other guys who played, and it was cut short,” he said. “For a lot of us, that was our year to succeed.”
He found out through RDC all-Canadian Tim Finnigan that the Kings were wanting to bolster their lineup over the Christmas break, and he was put in touch with Schulha.
Dubinsky became one of two additions the head coach made over the break — also adding Australia power Regan Fathers — and transformed the club’s offence.
“Nic and I started talking, we had him come and train with the guys to see what the dynamic looked like and he seemed to be a natural fit right away,” said Schulha.
Dubinsky made big strides in his second match for RDC. Where he was forcing things in Friday’s 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-22) win, he was much more relaxed on Saturday and made far fewer errors while still being effective, finishing with six kills, four digs and two blocked shots.
As much as anything, Schulha will be counting on Dubinsky’s leadership abilities.
“In the first half (of the season) we were living and dying with Tim Finnigan energy-wise,” he said.
“I think Regan adds a different energy dynamic — having a third Australian, all of those Aussies know each other so they have a different energy about them — but Regan is a little bit lighter and not afraid to be vocal. In the grand scheme of things, it lessens Tim’s load.”
For Dubinsky, the opportunity to catch on with the defending national champs who are currently ranked No. 1 in Canada, was all he wanted — it gives him an opportunity to go from the depths of depression of last year to a shot at ultimate redemption.
“When I was looking for an opportunity to play, I wanted to go to the highest level,” said Dubinsky. “I want to play with the highest-level people and I want to excel in that way.”
Finnigan led the Kings with 11 kills and five digs, while Fathers had 10 kills and four digs.
l Alex Donaghy continued her evolution into one of the ACAC’s top middles this weekend as she led the Queens to a 3-0 (25-8, 25-18, 25-10) domination of the Kodiaks on Saturday.
Donaghy finished with eight kills, two assists, one ace, four digs and a block while effectively taking away the Kodiaks’ net attack.
“Alex’s work ethic is unreal,” said Queens head coach Talbot Walton. “She wants to self-improve all the time, she comes every day and gives a good effort. When you know that capacity is there for a volleyball player, the skills that you need to teach and then they apply that effort, you know it eventually is going to make for a high-end player.”
Second-year power Miranda Dawe had a match high 12 kills and four digs.
The Queens were never challenged by the Kodiaks, instead focusing on their own game instead of what their opponents were doing.
“We’d been discussing heading into the second half that it’s not so much what they do on their side of the court, it’s us controlling our side-outs, making good first contacts and then working hard on defence to see if we can get the ball off the floor and extend the rally a bit more,” said Walton.
RDC has a home-and-home with the Olds College Broncos this weekend, playing at Olds on Friday, starting at 6 p.m., and then at RDC on Saturday at 6 p.m.
jaldrich@www.reddeeradvocate.com