Men’s volleyball Lions land two key recruits

The defending Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Champion York University Lions men’s volleyball team has added two top recruits for the upcoming 2005-2006 season.


Lions’ head coach Wally Dyba recently announced the commitment of six-foot-one setter Reid Hall of Georgetown and outside hitter Adam Podstawka of Ancaster, who stands 6-3.


“Adam and Reid have the potential to make an immediate impact in the OUA,” said Dyba, who led York to its ninth provincial title in February. “Their addition to the roster further enhances our tradition of successfully integrating top calibre beach athletes into our indoor program.”


Hall, who will study in York’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Science, is a member of the Ontario men’s volleyball team which will compete at the 2005 Canada Games in Regina in August. He led Georgetown to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations ‘AAAA’ semifinals and was a member of the Mountain Athletic Club squad that won silver at the Ontario Championship this past season.


An accomplished beach volleyball player, Hall will represent Canada along with Podstawka at the 2005 under-19 World Championships in France, Aug. 2-6. The pair reached the semifinals at the under-18 worlds in Italy and finished second in Canada in 2004.


Podstawka is also a member of the Ontario men’s team which will compete at the 2005 Canada Games. A silver medallist at the provincial championship with the Mountain Athletic Club in 2005, he was the Most Valuable Player at the under-16 Eastern Canadian Championship in 2003 as a member of the Bronte Beach Club. A recipient of the York University Entrance Scholarship who will also study kinesiology & health science, Podstawka joins his brother, Lions’ left side player Paul Podstawka, who was named to the OUA All-Rookie team this past season.


The Lions will begin defence of their OUA crown when they kick off the 2005-2006 regular season at Guelph on Oct. 26.


This article was submitted to YFile by Jim McLarty, sports & recreation information officer in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science.