Motivated Kodiaks ready to produce a competitive season

By Lethbridge Herald on October 22, 2024.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks men’s volleyball team begin a new season this weekend with a lot of motivation and confidence.

“We’ve got a really motivated group this year who’s jelled together really well throughout the  preseason,” said Greg Gibos, head coach.

“So we’re just excited to play some games now that mean something in the standings. So I would go as  far to say that’s  one of our best preseasons not only record wise but just with growth and development of a lot of our athletes.”

Gibos considers the team to be dynamic on offence.

“We’ve got a lot of athletes who can put the ball away,” said Gibos.

“We know our reception’s  going to be  quite strong and the guys who distribute the ball between our group (of) setters, they’ve got a lot (of) options to choose from offensively. So, yeah, I think our offence is going to be very strong and we always pride ourselves on our  block-defend. So our ability to slow teams down is always going to be at the highest level for us as well.”

The Kodiaks will have plenty of veterans on the team with three fifth-year athletes, which Gibos considers rare for their program, in Nolan Moes and Tyler Chernishenko, who have been in the program for a while and have the addition of Ethan Nashim.

“So all of sudden we went from kind an inexperienced group to one who’s  really trying to push this year and send those fifth years off right,” said Gibos.

Gibos will rely on the sixth-year  Moes to be a leader.

“You can’t talk about Lethbridge volleyball without Nolan Moes,” said Gibos

“ Nolan’s  been kind of  the lynch-pin of our offence for a long time and we can really balance him out this year.  So, Ethan Nashim joined us as a transfer from MacEwan University and he’s just another really dynamic outside player. So between (the) two of them, they have a really good voice of leadership.”

Chernishenko is what Gibos considers to be the motivating libero that will raise the excitement level and has a passion for volleyball

“He’s the guy you see on a Friday (and) Saturday night, who’s having the most fun,” said Gibos.

Moes feels the team is prepared for the season.

“We got quite a bit of (preseason) games in, so I feel we’re very prepared for the start of the long haul here,” said Moes.

Moes sees Gibos focus as having a team culture.

“I mean if everyone can get along, the team’s going to mesh really well on the court together,” said Moes.

The Kodiaks open with a home and home with Medicine Hat College beginning Friday night on the road and back in Lethbridge in Saturday at 8 p.m.