Medicine Hat Rattlers Volleyball Player Alfred Dalevik
by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips
Yuma, Arizona, USA with an average of 4,015 hours of sunshine per year, claims the title of the sunniest city in the world?
In Canada that bright claim belongs to Medicine Hat, Alberta which from 1971-1990 averaged 2,567 hours of sunlight a year.
Yet, other websites will give that honour to the village of Manyberries, a tiny hamlet in southeast Alberta, where they also average 2,567 hours.
Medicine Hat residents will tell you though, that they have a Sunshine State of the Mind.
Just ask Medicine Hat College Rattlers men's volleyball player Alfred Dalevik.
"Growing up I had heard of Alberta and I would recognize the names of cities like Calgary and Edmonton but that was about it," recalls Dalevik, 22, who grew up in Falkenberg, Sweden.
"When I had chance of coming here (Medicine Hat College) my initial thought was, "Why would I want to go to Canada? It was cold, lots of snow and icy all the time?"
Now into his third year as a Rattlers' outside hitter, the 6-foot-3 Dalevik has had a reversal of fortune and thought.
"The fact that we are the sunniest city in Canada helps and having a blue sky every day walking to school (where he is enrolled in Bachelor of Applied Arts - Applied Degree) you get energized. Plus we have a great group of guys on the team and a great community all-around."
Dalevik's interest in becoming an international student/athlete was sparked when he met former Rattlers' volleyball player Garrett Popplestone (ACAC All Conference 2008-2010) who was playing professionally in Sweden.
"I had had a bunch of tryouts for a bunch of teams back home and one of the teams had a guy from Canada (Popplestone) and a week or so late he messaged me on Facebook and said his old coach from Canada was looking for good players."
Graduating from Falkenbergs Allebergsgymnasiet, Dalevik would have to sit out a year though before being Canada bound.
"I started having pains in my left leg...my Tibia. t was diagnosed as a stress fracture and I was unable to jump for a full year, so I just practiced with the club team. I was limited with what I could do...just some passing and defense. It helped me going forward for sure."
Having also played soccer until the age of 15, Dalevik was a member of the Swedish National Junior Men's Volleyball under-17 and under-19 teams, traveling Europe and he says that he may one day return to his native land.
"I am definitely not done (with volleyball) after my trip here," said Dalevik, currently third on the team in total kills (141), service aces (15) and digs (115). "I will consider teams back home in the Swedish league.
"You could make a living, probably...not a glamourous living, but it would definitely be doable. From there you could showcase your skills and perhaps get a bigger and better contract in other European leagues and that would be the next step up
"I would have to improve first and with enough work it is doable."
In his first year with the Rattlers (2015-2016) the team qualified for ACAC postseason, losing to the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings 17-25, 21-25 in the bronze medal match.
Last year it was a step up to the ACAC silver medal with a five-set loss to the Red Deer Kings.
The Kings would go on to claim gold at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national championships in in London, Ontario beating Cegep Limoilou while Medicine Hat would spike their way to CCAA bronze defeating host Fanshawe College 2 5-20,22-25,23-25,25-23,21-19.
Medicine Hat will be hosting the 2017-2018 ACAC Men's Volleyball Championships February 21-24, 2018.