The men's volleyball team is eagerly preparing for the upcoming season. Phil Dixon returns as Head Coach after making Ook history in the 2024 CCAA National Championship. 

The team is riding high after last year's run, where they stormed the ACAC Championships and continued on an upward trajectory to the CCAA Nationals, where they won the title for the first time in the program's history.  

With a fair number of the players returning from last year, plus a healthy set of fresh faces bolstering the ranks, the team is expecting another exciting season to follow. "We've picked up some great additions to the team." Coach Dixon stated. "We're definitely in a good spot to start."  

While the team hopes for another chance at representing the ACAC at Nationals, Coach Dixon doesn't want his players to lose focus. He says, "We just want to be playing our best volleyball at the end of the season."

They will take it one step at a time, starting with their first match-up against Keyano College this weekend. "They're another top team, so it'll be a good challenge in week one." Coach Dixon said, going on to mention his players have done well in their exhibition matches so far, going 7-5 against a variety of teams from across Alberta.  

The chemistry amongst the athletes has been positive so far, with emphasis on team-building activities to ensure players have the opportunity to integrate into the squad dynamic. Having such a large roster size can be a challenge to manage when it comes to team cohesiveness. Building a positive culture is first and foremost in Coach Dixon's mind, who emphasized the role a coach takes in making the environment a healthy one.  "I'm confident that we can bring everyone together, keep this culture growing, and keep representing NAIT going forward," Coach Dixon said.  

The men's volleyball team will play their first match on the road on October 25th at 8 p.m. against Keyano College.