NEW HEAD COACH WORKING WITH YOUNG ROSTER
BY MARLEY PETERS
Jordan Kelly, #5 on the Red River College Men’s Volleyball Team, sets the ball to a teammate at the Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Rebels Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, October 7, 2017. /MARLEY PETERS
A new year, a new logo, and a new coach – the men’s volleyball team at Red River College are reinventing themselves after last year’s disappointing season. It marked the first time in eight years that RRC men’s volleyball team didn’t make the finals.
With only three returning players, coach Lindsey Habib may have his work cut out for him. Habib has been an active coach in the Manitoba volleyball community for 10 years and was named the 2017 Coach of the Year by Volleyball Manitoba Elite Development.
Habib is tasked with creating team cohesiveness with an almost brand-new team.
“They’re young players, so I like to keep it simple. We focus on the meat and potatoes of the game and let the details work themselves out,” Habib said.
With so many new faces, Habib plans to keep things simple for now.
“They are less experienced than the other teams in the league, but athletically, we can match them,” Habib said.
Rebels rolling with a new logo this year.
Working without a steady roster is another challenge of coaching at Red River College. RRC programs are usually around two years, which means students will be coming in and out at a steady pace.
“I’ve designed the roster around a strong core, which allows other players to seamlessly fill in needed jobs,” said Habib.
The team is currently at 12 players, all of which got a taste of the competition this past weekend at the Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Rebels Men’s Volleyball Tournament. The Rebels finished in second place out of five teams, as they were defeated by the Canadian Mennonite University’s Blazers.
The Rebels have their first home game on Nov. 11 against the Université de Saint-Boniface Rouges. All home games are in the north gym at the RRC Notre Dame Campus.
