The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Volleyball National Championship will be hosted by the St. Thomas University Tommies in 2020.

The Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) institution will host the event from March 11-14, 2020 in Fredericton, NB. The Grant-Harvey Centre will play host to the tournament.

“We are pleased to be heading to Fredericton, NB, where there has been a tradition of winning in recent seasons with the Tommies,” said Ray Sarkis, CCAA Men’s Volleyball Convenor. “St. Thomas has history in hosting outstanding championships and our student-athletes can certainly expect great eastern hospitality.”

The Tommies have won five of the last seven ACAA Championships, including last season on home court at the Lady Beaverbrook Gymnasium.

The tournament will feature eight teams from across Canada: five conference champions, two wildcard teams and the host Tommies.

The Tommies are no stranger to hosting tournaments, as they have a storied history of hosting ACAA, AUS, CCAA and CIS (now U Sports) tournaments. The Tommies hosted the 2010 CCAA Cross-Country Running Championships, the 2013 ACAA Basketball Championships, 2014 ACAA Soccer Championships, the 2015 AUS Cross Country Championships and the 2012 and 2018 ACAA Volleyball Championships. The school has also hosted the 2005 CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championships at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym, as well as the 2014 CIS Women’s Hockey Nationals at the Grant-Harvey Centre.

“We are extremely honoured to have a chance to host the CCAA Championship for the first time since 2005,” said head coach Henri Mallet. “As we continue to build a national caliber program, the experience of hosting and having a chance to play in front of family and friends will definitely be an asset. Fredericton has a long history of volleyball in the community and we are happy we’ll be able to share the high caliber of a CCAA Championship with all the young players from across the province. Being able to host the CCAAs at the Grant-Harvey Centre can only contribute positively to this success. This is a world-class venue and will help create a memorable tournament for fans, volunteers and teams.”

“We feel that the Grant-Harvey Centre is going to be a fantastic venue with all the amenities that you would want for a national championship,” said Director of Athletics at St. Thomas, Michael Eagles. “We are so pleased that the city has fully supported us for this opportunity and purchased the floor that we can put down for this event. Hosting any National Championship is a huge commitment from the University and the Athletics Department to undertake, we feel strongly that this is the right time and look forward to it.”

Following the hosting of a very successful ACAA Championship last season, the Tommies are poised and ready for the opportunity to host the national tournament this time around.

“Given how much of a success hosting the ACAA Championship was last season, I can only imagine what it will be like getting to play in a bigger venue with more fans at the Grant-Harvey Centre,” said last season’s team MVP, Christian Christie. “Hosting the ACAA Championship was an unbelievable experience, and if we can continue building the program, I have high hopes for what our team can do next year in front of our home crowd.”

The 2019 CCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship will be hosted by Red Deer College in Red Deer, AB, from March 6-9.