Queen’s Men’s Volleyball is looking to turn another provincial championship into a stronger showing on the national stage.
The Gaels enter the 2026-27 season as back-to-back OUA champions after finishing last year with a 14-6 regular season record and defeating the Windsor Lancers in straight sets to capture the Forsyth Cup. Their season ended at the U Spports National Championship in Windsor, where Queen’s lost to the University of British Columbia and Laval University.
Despite another early national exit, the Gaels return with several experienced players and will begin regular season competition on Oct. 30 against Trent University at home in the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC).
Head Coach Gabriel deGroot told The Journal that the team has spent the preseason identifying areas for improvement, including during a recent trip to Calgary to face some of Canada’s strongest programs.
“I think the objective with being in a tournament like this every year is to expose the parts of our game that we need to work on and the gaps that we are gonna have to close throughout the season,” deGroot said.
Queen’s faced the University of Alberta, Trinity Western University, and Mount Royal University during its trip west. DeGroot said the results were disappointing but noted that the Gaels began full-team training later than several of their opponents.
The team started training on Sept. 8, while deGroot estimated some of the Canada West programs had been practicing since late August.
He said the exhibition schedule has provided opportunities for players to gain experience and for the coaching staff to assess what needs attention before OUA competition begins.
The Gaels are also adjusting to the departure of outside hitter Reed Venning, ArtSci ’26, who began his professional career after last season. Venning was named a U Sports Second Team All-Canadian after recording 292 points during the 2025-26 regular season.
With Venning no longer in the lineup, deGroot pointed to returning players Chris Zimmerman, ArtSci ’27, and Nikola Mitrovic, ArtSci ’27, as important contributors.
“I think the two veteran guys we talked about, obviously, Zimmerman and Mitrovic, they’re going to be the stabilizers of the roster for sure,” deGroot said.
Zimmerman returns as the team’s setter, while Mitrovic is expected to carry a significant share of the scoring responsibility from the left side.
The coach added that the team will also rely on younger players, particularly after an injury to returning outside hitter Ben Carr, ArtSci ’28, who is expected to miss at least the first semester.
Among those expected to take on more responsibility is second-year Kai Miles, Comm ’29, whom deGroot identified as a player capable of contributing in a larger way.
“He’s a super physical player, a former youth national team player,” deGroot said. “His upsides are really big and we’re excited to see how he contributes this year.”
Queen’s will continue its preseason preparations by hosting the Smola Cup, a Queen’s-run annual invitational tournament, at the ARC from Oct. 9-11. The Gaels will be welcome York University, Université Laval, and Brandon University.
Bringing teams from different conferences to Kingston gives the Gaels another chance to measure themselves against programs they could encounter at nationals, deGroot said.
Laval competed at last year’s U Sports Championship, while Brandon provides another matchup against western Canada opposition. York will also participate after competing in an exhibition tournament in British Columbia.
With another OUA title and a return to nationals among the possibilities this season, deGroot said the team’s focus remains on improving throughout the year rather than concentrating on the results.
“I try not to think about expectations, I try to think about process,” he said.
While he acknowledged that Queen’s has the talent to compete for another conference title and contend nationally, deGroot emphasized the importance of taking the season one match at a time.
“We could win an OUA title, we could contend for a national championship,” he said. “But I think it’s about how we direct our attention and stay focused on the moment.”
Queen’s will face York at the ARC on Oct. 9 at 6 p.m., followed by Laval on Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m. and Brandon on Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. The Gaels officially open their OUA regular season at home against Trent on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Tags
Men's Volleyball, OUA, Volleyball
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