EDMONTON, Alta – The NAIT Ooks men's volleyball team, led by their head coach, Jordan Taylor, take on the Augustana Vikings this weekend in their home opener on Friday, November 19th at 6:00 PM.

Last year, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hiatus shouldn't bother the team too much, says Taylor, "our local guys trained pretty consistently at NAIT throughout the summer, so hopefully, the work they put in, in the offseason, pays off when it matters most." He also mentioned that the team is strong this season, "we will be one of the more physical teams in the ACAC this year, I think. We have some new additions who bring championship pedigree and high-level volleyball experiences to the program. These additions combined with our veteran core that includes some 4th and 5th years should make us competitive and keep us in the hunt for a podium finish this year."

 The team added nine new names to their roster this season. Taylor talks about the depth of his team, "we are a very deep group, with a large number of athletes capable of not only starting but taking over a match." Due to the pandemic, this season has been deemed a transition back to play with a reduced schedule.

The NAIT Ooks men's volleyball team is hoping to go all the way this year, says Taylor, "we have entered the year with a chip on our shoulder and plenty of grit. Every athlete feels like they have something to prove, and to some extent, so does the MVB program as a whole. The year before the pandemic in 2019-2020, we finished 1st in the North Division and were nationally ranked heading into provincials. That early exit in the quarterfinals stung, and we have some returners from that team that are using that loss as motivation for this season. That mentality has been on display in our early practices, and I believe this group has the making to do something special."

The NAIT Ooks men's team will play their second home game on Saturday, November 27th, at 6:00 PM against the Concordia University Thunder.