MVB: SSK's Mortensen makes Canada West history
Dylan Mortensen sets conference career record for kills and points
CALGARY - Saskatchewan's Dylan Mortensen has had an incredible season, but the way in which he closed it out was even more spectacular. The fifth-year outside hitter set the conference career record for kills and points in his final regular season game, the perfect exclamation mark to a now-historic career.
The Swift Current, SK product notched 23 kills Friday and 17 Saturday to set the new bar at 1490. He had an astounding 48 points on the weekend to take over that record as well. His new mark to beat is 1749.5.
Mortensen broke the previous records set by Mount Royal's Tyler Schmidt of 1482 (kills) and 1747 (points).
"To be up there with some amazing volleyball players like Brad Gunter & Tyler Schmidt is humbling. I was fortunate enough to play against Tyler during the early years of my career, and I saw first-hand how dominant of a player he was. To have my name beside someone like that is a great feeling. I am proud to have been supported by the Huskie Men's Volleyball team throughout my years, as they've presented me with opportunities that I don't think many other programs would have," said Mortensen of the accomplishment.
His coach, Sean McKay, put the spotlight back on the humble record-holder.
“Dylan Mortensen embodies what it means to be a U SPORT athlete. He has dedicated seven years to the University of Saskatchewan and during that time excelled academically, athletically and helped build a program everyone in the province can be proud of. Morty deserves every bit of this record," said McKay.
Mortensen instead praised his teammates.
"I am extremely grateful to have been able to play with some elite setters in CJ Gavlas, Troy Wiebe, Jake Rapin, Mark Armstrong, & Noah Opseth over my career that have trusted me to get the points our team needed. This season, I am especially grateful to play with such a strong serve receiving lineup, which is headed by the best libero in the league in Ethan Smith. I hope I was able to make a positive impact on my teammates and helped them realize that hitting the bench-press in your red shirt season pays dividends. It is a huge honor to have the first place in kills and points all time and I hope one day, another Huskie volleyball athlete beats both of those records!"
Mortensen has been a staple in the Huskies' offence for five years, elevating his game even higher this season. He was named the CW Men's Volleyball Player of the week three times, as he led the conference in kills per set.
He's been electrifying to watch, an offensive juggernaut who displayed strong defence and a high volleyball IQ.
The epitome of a Canada West student-athlete, Mortensen excels in the classroom as well. He is a five-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, six-time Huskie Athletics First Team All-Academic, and a six-time member of the Edward's School of Business Dean's List. He plans to play volleyball professionally in Europe next season.
Mortensen's efforts this weekend propelled the Huskies to a sweep of the Winnipeg Wesmen, finishing out the season with a 17-7 record. That puts them fourth in the conference, solidifying home court advantage for the playoffs.
They'll welcome the UBC Thunderbirds for a best-of-three series next weekend. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Game three, if needed, will go Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
You can catch all the action on Canada West TV or in person once tickets are available through this link.