Rattlers’ Helland-Hansen signs pro volleyball contract
By Sean Rooney on July 27, 2017.
srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney Medicine Hat College’s most decorated male athlete has signed his first pro volleyball contract. Isak Helland-Hansen will play for the Draisma Dynamo in Netherlands’ elite league this fall, an exciting new adventure for the Norweigan outside hitter. “It’s pretty exciting, it’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for a while,” said Helland-Hansen via Skype from his home in Norway Wednesday. “I’ve always wanted to try and get to that level, it’s nice to have it.” Following a second straight Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association player of the year award, Helland-Hansen helped the Rattlers earn their first-ever national medal by taking bronze in London, Ont. He was later named the Rattlers’ male athlete of the year, another repeat, and then the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference overall male athlete of the year. According to Rattlers coach Mark Porter, Helland-Hansen is the team’s career leader in both kills (614) and aces (122). He now joins a group of alumni that have continued with the sport beyond their college years. “I don’t know a lot about this division, but Fraser (Smith, another ex-Rattler) played there last year,” said Helland-Hansen. “It’s pretty high-level, not like Russia or Italy where the world stars play but it’s a good place to stop.” Smith’s Zwolle team didn’t get quite as far as Draisma in playoffs, falling in the quarter-finals. Draisma wound up third in the post-season after going 19-3 in the regular season. Though he’s only been in touch with the team’s management via his agent thus far, he’s got an hour-and-a-half plane trip booked to his new home for Aug. 15 and plans to learn some Dutch in the meantime. “I heard people from Holland are pretty good with English, so I don’t think it’s going to be an issue but it’s going to be interesting,” said Helland-Hansen, who’s spent much of his summer helping build a guest house out back of the family home. “The fact I’m now getting paid to play probably puts a little bit different expectations on things. It’s a little bit more pressure. “You can get by completely fine with English, but I’m not doing school now, I’ll have a lot of time and it’s a good opportunity to learn a new language as well.” Other ex-Rattlers still playing volleyball competitively include Smith and Megan Nagy — who’s on the international beach volleyball circuit this season after spending a few years overseas. 13
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