The York University Lions men’s volleyball program will host the 28th edition of the Excalibur Volleyball Classic, one of the premier Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) tournaments, on Jan. 5-7, 2007 at the Tait McKenzie Centre. All CIS conferences are represented in this eight-team tournament, as well as an international entry from Mexico. The draw includes five of the Top 10 teams in the country.
The Dalhousie Tigers are the top-seeded team in the three-day event and hold the No. 3 CIS ranking. The Tigers lead the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) division with a perfect 8-0 record. Dalhousie is one of only two teams in the country that have not lost a regular season contest. The defending and five-time tournament champions, Manitoba Bisons, are the No. 5-ranked team in the country. The Bisons with a 4-5 record sit tied for fourth in the tough Canada West conference. The No. 7 Queen’s Golden Gaels are the top ranked team from the Ontario University Athletics (OUA). Queen’s, the defending OUA champions, are tied for second in the OUA with a 9-1 record. The Laval Rouge et Or are ranked No. 8 in the CIS and lead the Quebec Student Sports Federation (QSSF) with a 9-2 record. In last year’s Excalibur Championship Final, Laval fell in four sets to the Bisons. The No. 9 Ryerson Rams enter the tournament as the OUA’s top team with a 10-2 record. The Rams won back-to-back Excalibur titles in 2004 and 2005.
The host York Lions face the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds in their first game of the tournament at 3pm on Friday, Jan. 5. The Lions are tied for second in the OUA with a 9-3 record, while the Varsity Reds are in second in the AUS with a 6-4 record. The Lions boast a 6-1 record at home this season, and have won four straight at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
The final team entered in the tournament is Anahuac University from Mexico City, Mexico. Earlier this year, the women’s team from Anahuac participated at the pre-season York Invitational tournament.
The tournament opens Friday, Jan. 5, 2007 at 1pm and runs through to Sunday, Jan. 7 with the Championship Final set for 3pm. Tournament passes can be purchased at the Tait McKenzie Centre, York University.
Adult day passes are $10, student day passes are $5, adult tournament passes are $25 and student tournament passes cost $10.
For more information on the tournament visit the Sport & Recreation Web site.