2021-22 ACAC Men’s Volleyball Rookies of the Year
Edmonton, AB (March 9, 2022)
North Rookie of The Year:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Mason Gorski of The King's University has been selected as the 2021-22 ACAC Men's Volleyball North Rookie of the Year (Sponsored by Volleyball Alberta).
Mason has made an incredible impact in his first year competing in the ACAC. Dominating the league in assists per set, this young setter has been the key contributor for the men's volleyball program at The King's University. Gorski is a dynamic student-athlete who is fearless in the face of adversity. His quick and devious distribution has provided one-on-one opportunities for the Eagle's offence all season long and has allowed his team to consistently be one of the strongest side-out teams in the ACAC. Mason's craft in the setting position is equally matched by his talent and energy on the defense and the service line. His skill and fearless attitude have afforded him respect from his veteran teammates, coaches, and opposition. With Mason's help, his teammates have also achieved top of the standings for attacking. Gorski ends the regular season with the highest number of assists per set across the ACAC leader board and a winning record as a team.
"Mason was recruited into our program with a lot of talent and resilience. Working with Mason this season has been unbelievably rewarding and I knew from the moment he put on an Eagle's jersey that this rookie would leave an impression every time he stepped on the court this season. I could not imagine being prouder of Mason and I'm impressed with his post-secondary growth in such a short amount of time. Mason worked alongside his veteran attackers to be one of the most efficient top-performing athletes not only on our team but in the entire ACAC." said Coach Patrick Winand.
Mason is a first-year setter from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan and is studying to obtain a Bachelor of Commerce from The King's University.
South Rookie of The Year:
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) is pleased to announce Brett Lower of the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings has been selected as the 2021/2022 ACAC Men's Volleyball South Rookie of the Year (Sponsored by Volleyball Alberta).
"I think what's most impressive about Brett is his all-around game and his desire to get better," said Aaron Schulha, Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Volleyball Head Coach. "He thinks the game at a high level for a rookie and he wants to learn the game at an even higher level."
The six-foot-two outside hitter played an important role on the first place Kings Volleyball team (12-4). Lower quickly earned a starting role and steadily progressed over 16 matches. He led the squad with 185 kills, ranking fourth in the league. His 3.14 kills per set were sixth in the ACAC. Lower, who is a graduate from Red Deer's Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School, finished with an impressive 0.421 hitting percentage.
"It's always nice to have a left hander on the right side and Brett has really stepped it up for us," added Schulha. "He has been outstanding. He has very high expectations of himself, which is great to see as a rookie."
The Bachelor of Science Nursing student provided energy on the floor and did whatever he could to help the Kings. Lower also contributed 93 digs, 15 blocks, 15 service aces, nine assists, and averaged 3.6 points per set.
This prestigious award will be recognized at the 2022 ACAC Men's Volleyball Championship hosted by NAIT in Edmonton, Alberta.
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About the ACAC: The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta. Its mission is to provide competitive collegiate sport experiences, promote academic achievement and be a leader of sport development in Canada.
For more information on the ACAC, please visit our website: www.acac.ab.ca
For additional information, contact:
Mark Kosak, ACAC
Chief Executive Officer
403-875-7329
markk@acac.ab.ca
Grace Scott, The King's University
Athletic Director
780-465-3500
grace.scott@kingsu.ca
Randy Stewart, Red Deer Polytechnic
Manager, Athletics & Student Life
403-342-3449
randy.stewart@rdpolytech.ca
Twitter: @acac_sport / #ACACVB2022
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