York Lions middle hitter Arthur Szwarc continued his ascent up the national volleyball ranks as he was named to Volleyball Canada's national B team May 11. Former Lion and three-time CIS all-Canadian Ray Szeto was also named to the team.
Arthur Szwarc
The 6-foot-10 Szwarc (Toronto, Ont.) is coming off an outstanding sophomore season with the Lions as he ranked third in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) in points (331), sixth in points per set (4.5), sixth in service aces (22), fourth in kills (248), and ninth in kills per set (3.35). He was also a defensive force at the net as he ranked first in the OUA in total blocks (93) and blocks per set (1.26).
Szwarc was recognized for his phenomenal season by being named a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) second-team all-Canadian and first-team all-star in the OUA's men's volleyball conference awards. No stranger to international play, Szwarc was named to the junior national team in 2015, where he played with the team at the U21 FIVB world championships and the 2015 FISU Summer Universiade last summer.
Szeto joins his former teammate on the national B team roster, reuniting a front line that led the Lions to an OUA championships bronze medal and a berth in the CIS Championships in 2014-15. One of the most decorated men's volleyball players in school history, Szeto was a two-time CIS first team all-Canadian, second-team all-Canadian, and three-time OUA first-team all-star during his five years with the Lions.
Over 40 athletes attended the national B team selection camp from May 5 to 8 hosted at the Centre Sportif in Gatineau, QC. The selected team members face a quick turnaround from the camp as they will compete at the 2016 XI Pan-American Cup in Mexico from May 19 to 26. Following the tournament the team will resume training in Canada in June.