KAMLOOPS – A pair of members of the Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's volleyball team found success at the highest level possible this past weekend. Rylan Ibbetson and Walker Sodaro combined to capture the Volleyball Canada University / College Beach Volleyball National Championship.

Representing the WolfPack in the tournament that featured teams from 28 schools across Canada, Ibbetson – an outside hitter entering his fifth year with TRU – and Sodaro – a third-year setter – are both originally from Kelowna and grew up playing together.

"We've played together our whole lives, Rylan and Mason (Sodaro, Walker's older brother who also plays for the 'Pack) have always been best friends, so we've always played together whether it was training or just hanging out," said Sodaro. "We played provincials down at Kits Beach to get some reps in prior to nationals."

Seeded in a pool with teams from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Collège La Cité and Seneca College, the 'Pack set the tone for the rest of the weekend by going perfect on day one.

The pair made quick work of Seneca College (21-12, 21-8), Collège La Cité (21-4, 21-4) and SAIT (21-14, 21-12) to win their pool and earn a bye to the quarter-finals.
Ibbetson and Sodaro kept that rolling with victories over UFV (21-10, 21-11) in the quarters and Guelph (21-16, 21-8) in the semifinals to punch their ticket to the national championship game against Waterloo.

"The games were always close going into the technical timeout and we kind of managed to reset after that and make great pushes towards the end of sets," said Sodaro. "We knew we didn't want to go to a third set because anything can happen in the third."

The pair put the finishing touches on their perfect weekend with a straight-sets 21-16, 21-14 victory over Waterloo, claiming the national title without dropping a single set all weekend.

"It was the best feeling ever," said Sodaro of the championship-winning moment. "He's like family, he's like another brother to me so to win with Rylan was awesome."

The duo was just the third team that TRU has entered into the national championship, with the pair of Sam Elgert and Sam Flowerday previously recording finishes of third and fourth at the tournament.
 
Ibbetson and Sodaro will now rejoin the rest of their WolfPack team as the 'Pack begin preparations for their Canada West season that gets underway on Oct. 17 in Calgary.