It's another feather in the cap of a Nipissing Lakers head coach.
Lakers men's volleyball head coach
Eric Yung has been named as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the upcoming FISU Summer Universiades Games in Taipei City, Taiwan.
The coaching staff, which also includes James Gravelle (Windsor) and William Alexander (Windsor) was officially announced Wednesday, with the games taking place from Aug. 19 to 30.
"It's truly an honour anytime you can represent Canada and the red and white. I am thrilled and excited for this opportunity to work with some of the top athletes and coaches," Yung said. "This is a great event and another chance to learn more about the game and be involved in a world-class experience."
Yung is currently in his 8th season as Head Coach of the Nipissing Lakers Men's Volleyball program. Recognized as the OCAA Coach of the Year and a CCAA Coach of the Year nominee in 2012, Yung guided the Lakers to the school's first National Championship Title in 2013, as well the program's first provincial medal (silver 2012) and first OCAA gold in 2013.
Yung is also responsible for the Lakers first ever U-Sports victory, winning season, and playoff appearance.
Overall, under Yung's guidance, the Lakers have posted a combined record of 80-67 (CCAA and U-Sports), including playoffs, for an impressive 0.544 winning percentage.
During his tenure, the Lakers have consistently improved year after year. From a 5 win inaugural OUA season to an 11 win 2016-17 season, Yung has demonstrated that he is a coach who invests highly into the process of growth. This is evident as only 2 of the 14 student-athletes on the 2016-17 roster was recruited by any other school. Yung is dedicated to preparing his student-athletes for life after University both on and off the court.
The full roster will be announced later this summer, prior to the team departing for the Games.
History of Volleyball in FISU
From the very first Summer Universiade in 1959, volleyball has been a compulsory and successful sport at the Summer Universiades organized under the patronage of the International University Sports Federation. During the first edition of the World Student Games in Torino, the men's volleyball tournament was organized with 12 teams striving to win the gold medal.
The most successful players of this tournament came from Czechoslovakia, beating their opponents from Romania with 3–0 and losing just two (2) sets in six (6) games. In 1961 in Sofia, the women's tournament was launched with six (6) teams and volleyball continued its path of success.
The level of the games and the increasing number of participating teams in the seventies not only reflected on the interest volleyball generated among organizing countries but made the FISU Executive Committee establish special regulations for team selection.
These technical regulations have been reviewed, once again, after the Summer Universiade in Izmir in 2005. With a maximum of 24 teams for a men's tournament and 16 teams for a women's tournament, as well as its long-standing tradition and an excellent attendance of spectators (with over 5,000 during the finals in Daegu, Izmir and Bangkok), university volleyball is greatly appreciated throughout the FISU world.
