2014, the year of the Bison?

This past year the Bison sports teams added to a long tradition of success. Student-athletes brought home national championships in volleyball, curling and golf, the football team fought for top spot in Western Canada, and the men’s volleyball head coach became the most successful bench boss in North America.

The women’s volleyball team became the first success story of the year with their victory on March 2, 2014. The Bisons earned a three-set sweep over defending and six-time champion UBC Thunderbirds to win the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship. The team earned their seventh CIS championship in the program’s history, and their first since 2002.

Only a few weeks later, the University of Manitoba men’s curling team edged past the University of Alberta to earn the 2013-14 CIS/CCA men’s curling championship on March 23, 2014. This is the first men’s title for the University of Manitoba since the sport was recognized with CIS Championship in 2007-08.

The winning continued on home soil when the Bisons men’s golf team won the 2014 CIS Championship held on June 2-6 at Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg. This is the first time the Bisons have captured the championship since it originated in 2003.

On November 15, 2014 the Bison football team fought for their second road win of the playoffs and beat the heavily favored Calgary Dinos to earn the team’s 11^th Hardy Cup trophy. The victory marked the Bisons as the best team in the Canada West conference, and earned them a spot in the CIS semi-final.

The men’s volleyball team’s victory over the Regina Cougars on October 18, 2014 was not just another win for the team. With that win, head coach Garth Pischke set the North American all-time coaching match win record for men’s volleyball with his 1240^th overall victory. The Winnipeg native is now in his 33^rd year at the helm of the Bisons, and currently holds an overall coaching record of 1244-342 (.784).