KELOWNA, B.C. – Three members of the UBC Okanagan Heat men's volleyball team have been selected to try out for the Volleball Canada U21 men's team as announced by the national sport organization on Wednesday.
Outside hitters Renn Petryk of Edmonton, and Thys Weststrate of Kelowna, B.C., as well as setter Zach van Geel of Calgary, will travel to Gatineau, Quebec next week for the five-day selection camp that runs from May 22 to 26. The trio are among 27 athletes from across the country to be selected for an invitation to the camp.
"I'm extremely proud of Thys, Zach and Renn," commented Heat head coach Brad Hudson. "With the youngest roster in Canada West last season, I felt going in we would be well represented at the selection camp and I was happy to see it come to fruition. All three possess tremendous character and athletic potential. I've said many times there is no greater honour than to represent your country and I'm excited to see these men earn the right to wear the maple leaf."
Petryk, who just completed his second year of eligibility with the Heat, is coming off a very strong season with the Heat as he led the team in kills with 228 and points with 261.5. He also ranked second on the team in digs with 89 and was fourth in blocks with 32. One of the highlights of the season for the arts major was his 18-kill performance against the rival Thompson Rivers WolfPack in November that helped the Heat clinch the men's Presidents' Cup competition.
Weststrate, a graduate of Kelowna Secondary, just completed his first season of eligibility at UBCO and was a valuable contributor off the bench. He recorded 90 kills, along with 44 digs and 47 blocks for 127.5 points, including a season-best showing of nine kills and 15 points in a victory over the MacEwan Griffins in February.
Rounding out the Heat trio is second-year setter van Geel who was the team's most valuable player in 2022-23. The former member of the Canada West All-Rookie team was a force all over the court for the Heat, posting a career-high 579 assists, to go with 47 kills, 35 blocks and 81 points. Van Geel was particularly strong at the end of the season as the Heat pushed for a playoff berth, recording a 48-assist performance in February against MacEwan.
If any of the Heat athletes are selected to the team, they will spend the summer training in Ottawa for a pair of competitions, including the NORCECA Pan American Cup from June 3-11 in La Habana, Cuba and the FIVB World Championships set to be hosted in Manama, Bahrain from July 7-16.