The University of Saskatchewan began playing varsity men's volleyball in 1976-77 under the leadership of Murray Hill. Within three seasons, the team had been crowned Canada West and CIAU Champions.
The 1978-79 season was the start of a strong tradition of winning in the men's volleyball program, one of the most decorated Huskie team. Since that year, the team has made 17 appearances at the CIAU/CIS Championship winning four gold medals, five silver, two bronze medals and came in fourth three times. They have also won 10 Canada West Championships.
The team has also been recognized at awards season winning 10 Canada West Coach of the Year awards — Hill 1978-79; Larry Plenart 1979-80; Frank Enns 1984-85, 1985-86; Tom Graham 1986-87, 1987-88, 1989-90; and Brian Gavlas 1995-96, 1997-98, 2000-01. All five have won the CIS Coach of the Year award.
The Huskies have also sported six Canada West MVP titles and four at the CIAU/CIS level. Darcy Busse (twice at both Canada West and CIS level); Scott Schutz, Adam Ens and Mark Dodds. Ens and Dodds were the other winners at the CIS level. Ens also went on to win the prestigious BLG Award for CIS Athlete of the Year.
Plenart took over the team in 1979-80 and led them right back to the championship, winning the Canada West title once again. They finished with a silver at the national level. In the early years of the team, the Huskies were led by Darcy Busse, Brian Gavlas and Jerome Linnell. The three were all named all-stars and All-Canadians. The late-Busse was handed the Canada West and CIAU MVP awards in the 1983-84 and 1985-86 seasons.
From 1984-90 under Tom Graham and Frank Ens, the Huskies visited the national championship five out of the six seasons. In the span, the Huskies brought home the championship in 1987-88. They also won two silvers, a bronze and four Canada West championships in those years.
Brian Gavlas took over as head coach of the team in 1992-93. He has led the Huskies to nine CIS Championship appearances, winning two titles for the program. From 1996-2001, the team visited the championship every year and did so again from 2002-2006.
Since 1980, the Huskies have only had 10 seasons that the team had a losing record, with the most difficult season coming in 1993- 94 when the team went 2-14. But the very next season, the men were back at the national championship.
In the 2014-15 season, the Huskies hosted the CIS Men's Volleyball Championship at the PAC. It was the first time the Huskies hosted the national event since 1979-80. The Huskies finished fifth. A year later, the Huskies qualified for the CIS Championship as the Canada West silver-medalists. The Huskies finished fourth.
In 2019, Sean McKay became the ninth head coach in the history of the Huskie men's volleyball program, guiding the team to a playoff berth in his first year at the helm. The 2022-23 season would see the Huskies take home the Canada West Bronze medal and head to the U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship, where they would end their season in seventh place in the the country.
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The History - Historical Data, Statistics, Awards
Career Leaders
Individual Season Records
Year-by-Year Results
Playoff Results
All Time VS Opponents
MVBÂ Coaching Record
Canada West All-Stars
Canada West Awards
All-Canadians
National Awards
Huskie Athletics Awards
All-Time Athlete List
