When Emmanuel Denguessi took over as the head coach of the Capilano University men’s volleyball team, the athletic department agreed to give him three years to turn around the somewhat struggling program and then they would reassess.
Year one was good, year two was better, and now, a couple of weeks into year three, it appears that the school’s patient approach is paying off in a big way.
It’s still early days in the PacWest season but the Blues have blasted into top spot, posting a 4-0 record, winning 12 sets while dropping just one to race out of the gates as the only undefeated team after two weeks of play.
So what is Denguessi thinking now about that three-year approach?
“I think it’s good that we’ve started winning,” he said with a laugh. “Things are looking very good. I think this is one of those years that you work for. The investments of the last two years are paying off. The team is looking very good, and the guys are just improving day-by-day and match after match. The exciting thing is that they haven’t even reached the full potential of what they can offer this season.”
There are several signs of a team on the rise. Eight players from last year’s squad are back this year, offering continuity that the program has been missing in recent years. Denguessi attributed that carryover to a program that puts as much emphasis on academics as it does on athletics.
“That’s the result of the philosophy that we have tried to implement, which is high academic performance as well as athletic performance,” he said. “I think that is incredible for parents when you approach them and advertise your program in that way. For me it gives satisfaction because I see the fruits of the hard labour.”
On the court, everything the team does runs through setter Simon Friesen, who was named PacWest male volleyball athlete of the week following a strong showing in two wins over Douglas College to start the season.
“Simon is just every single day amazing,” Denguessi said about the third year setter out of Abbotsford. “He’s the best setter in the league and he’s just improving. You see somebody who is maturing to the game, he’s starting to – not just playing well, but understanding. His presence on the court makes a difference. Just with Simon being there, the team is looking different.”
Denguessi played setter as well, starring for Capilano University years ago and also seeing time with the Cameroonian national team. He likes what he sees from the six-foot-four Friesen, who is not just setting up his teammates but serving and blocking well and going for quick-hit kills himself.
“He’s not just distributing, he’s not just setting, but he’s also making a big contribution in terms of the kill rate that we have,” said Denguessi. “I haven’t had the opportunity to work as much with Simon as I want to … but just a small nugget that I give him once in a while seems to help. But Simon, credit to him, is a hard worker. He’s going to do his research, he’s going to watch volleyball, he’s going to be open to challenge.”
The player who has joined Friesen in a big leadership role is second-year power hitter Justin Yee, said Denguessi.
“Justin Yee, for me, is the guy,” he said. “He’s the big brother of the team. Simon is the mind of the team, but Justin is the big brother. Justin is the guy that is going to come in and give you six points on the serve. He’s the guy that at 22-22, you want to give him the ball. … His presence on the court makes the other players feel confident. He and Simon have a very big presence on the court.”
A third Capilano player has emerged as a standout in early season play, as rookie Jacob Hopkins, a grad of Vancouver’s Prince of Wales Secondary, leads the league with 42 total kills, averaging 3.88 kills per set which is the second highest rate in the league.
“Jacob is a surprise,” said Denguessi with a laugh. “At the beginning we didn’t know where to put him. But at the Douglas tournament he played on the right side and he just shined in that position. Since then he is just making us feel proud of the decision to put him there.”
Other early season standouts include libero Jonathan Lee and middles Zarley Zalusky and Argyle grad Mattias Wels-Lopez.
“The team is just flourishing from everywhere,” said Denguessi, adding that this is the first time he’s had a full roster of 15 players, and competition for playing time is fierce. “It’s a good problem to have. We’re glad to have that problem.”
The team may be playing like a veteran squad, but they are still relatively young, with seven rookies on the roster and Friesen as the only player with more than one year of college experience coming into this season.
“It’s very enjoyable as I see the progression of the guys and the confidence,” said Denguessi. “What is amazing is they are only second years, who are playing like fifth years. When you have second year guys who are playing like fifth years, you just marvel.”
They’ll have a chance to show off their attack on home floor as they host College of the Rockies this Thursday and Friday. First serve both nights will be at 6 p.m. for the women, with the men to follow at approximately 8 p.m.
Denguessi is hoping they’ll be 6-0 after those two matchups, adding that the toughest tests this season quite likely will come from the island teams at Camosun College and Vancouver Island University. Camosun is hosting the Canadian championships, so all of the rest of the PacWest teams will be battling for one more ticket to the national tournament. Denguessi sees no reason why it shouldn’t be the Blues winning that spot at the end of the season.
“When we were setting our goals, we wanted to be at nationals. That’s our goal – going to nationals,” he said. “The way that the guys are playing right now, if they continue like that and improve on that, it will be very difficult to stop Cap.”
