U Sports men's volleyball championship

The U Sports Men's Volleyball Championship is a Canadian university volleyball tournament conducted by U Sports, and determines the men's national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The Tantramar Trophy is awarded to the winners.

The 2026 champions are the Trinity Western Spartans, who won the eighth championship in their program history. The Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg Wesmen and Alberta Golden Bears have won the most championships with each school having won ten times.

History The first championship tournament was held in Calgary, Alberta and featured the UBC Thunderbirds defeating the Mount Allison Mounties 3–0 and the Sherbrooke Vert et Or 3–0 en route to being the first CIAU men's volleyball champions. They were given the Tantramar Trophy, named after the Tantramar Marshes in New Brunswick, which was donated in 1967 by Mount Allison University. While early records are not readily available, the championship has been played as a round-robin tournament at least since 1980. In 1983, six teams played in two pools and then, based on the results, advanced to single-elimination games to determine a winner. In 1985, the current format of full single-elimination games was adopted with eight team competing in the tournament.

Both the 2020 and 2021 championship tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format The championship currently consists of an eight-team tournament, with champions from each of the three conferences, one host (from Canada West in 2020 and 2021), an additional Canada West team, two additional OUA teams, and one additional team from the RSEQ. While the berths for the conference champions and host remain consistent year-to-year, the other four invitees can change based on the host's conference and the competitive landscape in U Sports. The championship takes place over three days and features 11 games, with teams seeded 1–8. Teams are ranked by a committee as well as by the ELO ranking used to determine weekly Top 10 rankings nationally. Conference champions can be ranked no lower than 6th place. The team ranked 1st plays the 8th ranked team, 2nd plays 7th, 3rd plays 6th, and 4th plays 5th in the quarter-finals. To ensure common rest times, teams are not re-seeded after the first round, so the winner of 1v8 plays the winner of 4v5 and the winner of 2v7 plays the winner of 3v6. There is also a consolation bracket to determine the third-place winner (bronze medalist) and fifth-place winner. The gold medal game is the last game played in the tournament.

Results Round Robin Format (1967–1982) YearHost(City)Championship finalTeamsChampionsScoreRunners-up1967Calgary(Calgary, AB)UBC Thunderbirds3–0Sherbrooke Vert et Or41968Guelph(Guelph, ON)Ottawa Gee-Gees2–0Manitoba Bisons51969Mount Allison(Sackville, NB)Winnipeg WesmenN/AN/AN/A1970Calgary(Calgary, AB)Montreal CarabinsN/AN/AN/A1971Laurentian(Sudbury, ON)Winnipeg Wesmen3–0Western Ontario MustangsN/A1972Laval(Quebec City, QC)Winnipeg Wesmen3–0Montreal CarabinsN/A1973Laurentian(Sudbury, ON)Winnipeg WesmenN/ALaurentian VoyageursN/A1974Alberta(Edmonton, AB)Winnipeg WesmenN/AYork YeomenN/A1975Laval(Quebec City, QC)Sherbrooke Vert et Or3–0Alberta Golden BearsN/A1976 Manitoba/Winnipeg(Winnipeg, MB)UBC Thunderbirds3–1Sherbrooke Vert et Or61977Waterloo(Waterloo, ON)Winnipeg Wesmen3–0UBC Thunderbirds61978Moncton(Moncton, NB)Manitoba Bisons3–0Calgary DinosaursN/A1979McMaster(Hamilton, ON)Saskatchewan Huskies3–2Manitoba BisonsN/A1980Saskatchewan(Saskatoon, SK)Manitoba Bisons3–1Saskatchewan Huskies61981Victoria(Victoria, BC)Alberta Golden Bears3–2Manitoba Bisons61982Dalhousie(Halifax, NS)Calgary Dinosaurs3–1Manitoba Bisons6

Transition Format (1983–1984) YearHost(City)Gold medal matchBronze medal matchTeamsGold medalistsScoreSilver medalistsBronze medalistsScore4th place1983British Columbia(Vancouver, BC)UBC Thunderbirds3–1Manitoba BisonsLaval Rouge et Or3–1Victoria Vikings61984Laval(Quebec City, QC)Manitoba Bisons3–0UBC ThunderbirdsWaterloo Warriors3–0Dalhousie Tigers6

Single Elimination Format (1985–present) YearHost(City)Gold medal matchBronze medal matchTeamsGold medalistsScoreSilver medalistsBronze medalistsScore4th place1985York(North York, ON)Manitoba Bisons3–0Saskatchewan HuskiesToronto Varsity Blues3–0Dalhousie Tigers81986Moncton(Moncton, NB)Winnipeg Wesmen3–2Manitoba BisonsSaskatchewan Huskies3–1UBC Thunderbirds81987Winnipeg(Winnipeg, MB)Winnipeg Wesmen3–0Saskatchewan HuskiesManitoba Bisons3–2Calgary Dinosaurs81988Guelph(Guelph, ON)Saskatchewan Huskies3–1Manitoba BisonsCalgary Dinosaurs3–0Dalhousie Tigers81989Calgary(Calgary, AB)Calgary Dinosaurs3–0Manitoba BisonsYork Yeomen3–0Waterloo Warriors81990Winnipeg(Winnipeg, MB)Laval Rouge et Or3–0Manitoba BisonsWaterloo Warriors3–0Saskatchewan Huskies81991Laval(Quebec City, QC)Manitoba Bisons3–0Toronto Varsity BluesWaterloo Warriors3–2Sherbrooke Vert et Or81992Winnipeg(Winnipeg, MB)Laval Rouge et Or3–0Calgary DinosaursMontreal Carabins3–1Winnipeg Wesmen81993Alberta(Edmonton, AB)Calgary Dinosaurs3–0Montreal CarabinsWinnipeg Wesmen3–0Manitoba Bisons81994Dalhousie(Halifax, NS)Laval Rouge et Or3–0Manitoba BisonsDalhousie Tigers3–2Alberta Golden Bears81995Laurentian(Sudbury, ON)Manitoba Bisons3–2Laval Rouge et OrDalhousie Tigers3–2Alberta Golden Bears81996Calgary(Calgary, AB)Manitoba Bisons3–1Alberta Golden BearsLaval Rouge et Or3–1Winnipeg Wesmen81997Calgary(Calgary, AB)Alberta Golden Bears3–0Dalhousie TigersWinnipeg Wesmen3–1Calgary Dinosaurs81998Calgary(Calgary, AB)Winnipeg Wesmen3–0Saskatchewan HuskiesAlberta Golden Bears3–1Toronto Varsity Blues81999Laval(Quebec City, QC)Saskatchewan Huskies3–0Laval Rouge et OrAlberta Golden Bears3–2Calgary Dinos82000Laval(Quebec City, QC)Manitoba Bisons3–1Saskatchewan HuskiesWinnipeg Wesmen3–0Dalhousie Tigers82001Laval(Quebec City, QC)Manitoba Bisons3–1Laval Rouge et OrCalgary Dinos3–0Saskatchewan Huskies82002Alberta(Edmonton, AB)Alberta Golden Bears3–2Winnipeg WesmenManitoba Bisons3–0Laval Rouge et Or82003Alberta(Edmonton, AB)Manitoba Bisons3–0Alberta Golden BearsSaskatchewan Huskies3–2Calgary Dinos82004Laval(Quebec City, QC)Saskatchewan Huskies3–2Alberta Golden BearsTrinity Western Spartans3–1Manitoba Bisons82005Laval(Quebec City, QC)Alberta Golden Bears3–2Trinity Western SpartansManitoba Bisons3–2Saskatchewan Huskies82006McMaster(Hamilton, ON)Trinity Western Spartans3–0Alberta Golden BearsManitoba Bisons3–1Dalhousie Tigers82007McMaster(Hamilton, ON)Winnipeg Wesmen3–2Alberta Golden BearsTrinity Western Spartans3–0UBC Thunderbirds82008Laval(Quebec City, QC)Alberta Golden Bears3–1Winnipeg WesmenTRU WolfPack3–2Dalhousie Tigers82009Alberta(Edmonton, AB)Alberta Golden Bears3–0Laval Rouge et OrBrandon Bobcats3–1McMaster Marauders82010DetailsThompson Rivers(Kamloops, BC)Calgary Dinos3–1Trinity Western SpartansAlberta Golden Bears3–0Laval Rouge et Or82011DetailsTrinity Western(Langley, BC)Trinity Western Spartans3–0Brandon BobcatsCalgary Dinos3–2Laval Rouge et Or82012DetailsQueen's(Kingston, ON)Trinity Western Spartans3–1Laval Rouge et OrManitoba Bisons3–1Queen's Gaels82013DetailsLaval(Quebec City, QC)Laval Rouge et Or3–1McMaster MaraudersBrandon Bobcats3–1Western Mustangs82014DetailsCalgary(Calgary, AB)Alberta Golden Bears3–0Western MustangsMcMaster Marauders3–0Laval Rouge et Or82015DetailsSaskatchewan(Saskatoon, SK)Alberta Golden Bears3–0Trinity Western SpartansMcMaster Marauders3–0Dalhousie Tigers82016DetailsMcMaster(Hamilton, ON)Trinity Western Spartans3–1McMaster MaraudersAlberta Golden Bears3–0Saskatchewan Huskies82017DetailsAlberta(Edmonton, AB)Trinity Western Spartans3–1Alberta Golden BearsMcMaster Marauders3–0UBC Thunderbirds82018DetailsMcMaster(Hamilton, ON)UBC Thunderbirds3–0Trinity Western SpartansMcMaster Marauders3–0Alberta Golden Bears82019DetailsLaval(Quebec City, QC)Trinity Western Spartans3–0Brandon BobcatsLaval Rouge et Or3–1Alberta Golden Bears82020DetailsManitoba(Winnipeg, MB)Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemicCancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic82021DetailsBrandon(Brandon, MB)Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemicCancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic82022DetailsManitoba(Winnipeg, MB)Alberta Golden Bears3–1Trinity Western SpartansSherbrooke Vert et Or3–1Calgary Dinos82023DetailsMcMaster(Hamilton, ON)Trinity Western Spartans3–0Sherbrooke Vert et OrMcMaster Marauders3–0Alberta Golden Bears82024DetailsQueen's(Kingston, ON)Alberta Golden Bears3–2Sherbrooke Vert et OrUBC Thunderbirds3–1Queen's Gaels82025DetailsBrandon(Brandon, MB)Brandon Bobcats3–1Alberta Golden BearsSaskatchewan Huskies3–1Sherbrooke Vert et Or82026DetailsWindsor(Windsor, ON)Trinity Western Spartans3–2UBC ThunderbirdsManitoba Bisons3–0Windsor Lancers82027DetailsMount Royal(Calgary, AB)82028DetailsSaskatchewan(Saskatoon, SK)8

Results by schools Due to information limitations, the following table includes all known first, second, and third-place finishes, as indicated above. Prior to 1983, there were no third-place finishes, and the second-place finish was the loser of the championship game. While the Dalhousie Tigers now play in the RSEQ, they had won their medals while playing in the AUS conference, which no longer fields men's volleyball teams.

Team Conference 1st 2nd 3rd Manitoba Bisons Canada West 10 10 6 2003 Alberta Golden Bears Canada West 10 8 4 2024 Winnipeg Wesmen Canada West 10 2 3 2007 Trinity Western Spartans Canada West 8 5 2 2026 Laval Rouge et Or RSEQ 4 5 3 2013 Saskatchewan Huskies Canada West 4 5 3 2004 Calgary Dinos Canada West 4 2 3 2010 UBC Thunderbirds Canada West 4 3 1 2018 Sherbrooke Vert et Or RSEQ 1 4 1 1975 Brandon Bobcats Canada West 1 2 2 2025 Montreal Carabins RSEQ 1 2 1 1970 Ottawa Gee-Gees RSEQ 1 0 0 1968 McMaster Marauders OUA 0 2 5 None Western Mustangs OUA 0 2 0 None Dalhousie Tigers AUS 0 1 2 None York Yeomen OUA 0 1 1 None Toronto Varsity Blues OUA 0 1 1 None Waterloo Warriors OUA 0 0 3 None Laurentian Voyageurs OUA 0 0 1 None TRU WolfPack Canada West 0 0 1 None

See also

NCAA men's volleyball tournament

External links U Sports Men's Volleyball Championship

References