LANGLEY, British Columbia – Trinity Western third-year libero Tate Calles (Anacortes, Wash.) has been named the Canada West Men's Volleyball Libero of the Year, as announced by Canada West on Wednesday.
 
In addition to Calles, UBC's Mason Greves was named Player of the Year, with his head coach, Michael Hawkins, earning his first career Canada West Coach of the Year award. A pair of Mount Royal Cougars were recognized, with Kale Orr taking home Rookie of the Year, and Max Turgeon being named the Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner.
 
Adam Schriemer on Tate
"Tate impacted our game by providing so much stability for us all year long. This is one of the best passing Spartan teams I've ever been a part of, and a big reason for that is Tate and his ability to handle so much court. He was extremely efficient, and his steadiness in reception was a big reason for our success. When Tate joined our team, we changed the way we run our secondary setter offence because of how athletic he is and how skilled he is as a setter. We now have a full offence when Tate is setting, through the middle, through the pipe, and through the outside, which is very rare. His athleticism and skill allow us to be very creative and to be in system much longer. There's no doubt Tate played a critical role in so many areas for us this season, and he is most certainly deserving of this honour."
 
Calles was an instrumental part of the Spartans' success this year, locking down TWU's backcourt all season. Calles led Canada West with 2.27 digs per set, becoming the first Spartan since Tyler Koslowsky (2015-16) to lead the conference. The ultra-athletic Calles, who will pursue a pro career following this season, finished the year with 179 digs while helping the Spartans hit .304 as a team.
 
The human kinetics student's defensive prowess played a critical role in helping spark a lively TWU attack that saw three offensive stars finish among the top two in CW in three different statistical categories (Kaden Schmidt – 1st in kills per set, Cory Schoenherr – 2nd in hitting percentage, Anselm Rein – 2nd in assists per set).
 
Calles and the rest of the Spartans men's volleyball team are now headed to the Canada West Final Four hosted by the UBC Thunderbirds. The Spartans will face the Alberta Golden Bears in the second semi-final at War Memorial Gym on Friday, March 6. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Canada West TV. The other semi-final has the No. 1 UBC Thunderbirds matched up with the Manitoba Bisons, with game time set for 5:30 p.m. (PT).
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in the NAIA in track and field and cross country, and as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 33 Canada West team championships.
 
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

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