Member of the Canada West Conference and Canadian Inter-University Sport (CIS). The following is a compilation of the History of UBC Men's Volleyball, by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian. UBC Men’s Volleyball Timeline Highlights
Fred Hume, Historian UBC Athletics
• Although the men’s varsity volleyball program at UBC did not begin until 1957, there was a team put together as early as 1949. This
team which included UBC basketball stars of the day Art Phillips, Norm Watt and Nev Munro, played a best of five series with the University of Washington, winning three games to two.
• Sept. 1957 – the varsity program is underway and guided by coach Frank Kurucz the Thunderbirds surprise by winning the B.C. Senior ‘A’ volleyball championship this season and again in 58/59 and 59/60.
• Spring 1963 – UBC’s first Western Canadian university volleyball title is won, a championship it won again in 63/64. Both teams are coached by Les Heron with the latter year featuring a future international player and UBC Hall of Famer, Ken Witzke.
• Spring 1967 – UBC, led by stars Mike Rockwell and Ken Witzke and coached by Eric Lessman, win the inaugural Canadian university volleyball championship. This UBC Hall of Fame team at this same time captures the Canadian Junior Men’s title.
• 1967 – This same ‘66/67 UBC team represents Canada at the World Student Games in Tokyo. The Blue and Gold initiate a turning-point for volleyball both at UBC and in Canada. From these Games they bring to North America the revolutionary Asian style of volleyball – the style that would become the new standard for how the sport would be played in North America.
• Spring 1974 – UBC, coached by Ray Lepp, win its fourth Canada West title.
• Spring 1976 – Thunderbirds win their second CIS title, this time under the coaching of future National team coach Lorne Sawula. This team features the play of future Olympian Tom Jones together with ’78 Bobby Gaul Award winner Gary Warner and future Order of B.C. recipient Tim Frick. Jones and Warner again lead UBC to its sixth Canada West title the following year.
• September 1980 – former Thunderbird varsity player Dale Ohman takes the volleyball coaching reigns at UBC and begins a 25 year head coaching career, the fourth longest such career in UBC history.
• March 1983 – UBC, led by Tournament MVP Paul Thiessen and All-Stars Brad Willock and Chris Frehlick, capture for the third time the CIS national championship, winning six of seven tournament games. Coach Ohman is recognized as the CIS Coach of the Year.
• March 1984 – Thunderbirds win their seventh Canada West title. Led by Thiessen, Willock and Frehlick the ‘Birds between spring ’83 and spring ’84 rack up a 24 game undefeated streak within CIS competition.
• March 1986 – Led by All-Canadians and future Olympians Frehlick, Willock and Greg Williscroft, the Thunderbirds win their eighth Canada West championship.
• 1988 – Three-time All-Canadian Greg Williscroft along with Kelly Bukowski lead UBC to a six win two loss record against top U.S. teams which include the UCLA Bruins.
• Spring 1994 – Two-time All-Canadian Conrad Leinemann finishes his UBC career becoming the third volleyball player to win the Bobby Gaul Award and in 2000 becomes the only UBC athlete to compete in the Olympics in the sport of Beach Volleyball, until Martin Reader does the same in 2012.
• Spring 1999 – Concludes the UBC career of Mike Dalziel, one of UBC’s most accomplished volleyball players. He finishes as a two-time All-Canadian, many times Academic All-Canadian and scholarship winner, TSN Award winner and ’99 Bobby Gaul Award recipient.
• September 2003 – Sees the closing of Dale Ohman era and the opening of the Richard Schick style Thunderbirds, continuing the passionate and entertaining brand of Thunderbird volleyball.
• February 2007 – Under coach Schick and led by Blair Bann, Andrew Bonner and Chris Eichbaum, UBC defeat arch-rival Manitoba to qualify for the National Championships for the first time in 18 years. “A team effort – an extremely special group” remembers coach Schick.
