The Keyano College Huskies men’s volleyball team received a new Plante this summer.

Konrad Plante was named the new volleyball head coach, taking over from reigning CCAA Coach of the Year Trent Mason. Plante was an assistant coach on the Brandon Bobcats, who finished third at Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s volleyball championships last season.

Huskies Athletics is pleased to welcome Konrad Plante to our Keyano College team.

Plante will become the eighth Huskies Men's Volleyball Head Coach as we enter our 19th season of competition in the ACAC. He brings a wealth of experience as a physical education professional who has coached volleyball within the Team Manitoba and Brandon University programs. Plante joins the Huskies after completing eight years of teaching with Crocus Plains High School in Brandon, Manitoba.

A young Keyano College men’s volleyball team were taken to school and swept Friday 3-0 (23-25, 20-25, 22-25) and Saturday 3-0 (19-25, 21-25, 18-25) by the defending national champion Grant MacEwan University Griffins at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre. The weekend was a harsh learning experience for the Huskies only eight months after the team that hosted nationals.

“I think it was great growth for us,” said Huskies head coach Konrad Plante. “Some of our young guys are starting to realize that at this level playing for half a set doesn’t work. You have to be mentally and physically strong enough to last a whole set and prepare for the next point and the next play.”

Even though MacEwan has a lot of players returning from last year’s championship team, Plante felt his young players stood in well against the Griffins.

“The guys are starting to realize that next level does require a lot of work,” he said. “Not (just) physically but also mentally to be in there for every point.”

Fifth-year Husky Stacey Elser had a team-high seven kills Saturday to go along with five digs. Rookie Vince McFadyen, a six-foot-three middle, had four stuff blocks and fellow first year player, six-foot-three left side Matt Herbert, had four kills.