Playing for your country is special no matter what sport you are involved in. That pride is being shown by a member of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Mens Volleyball Team.   Setter Martin Stenderup  has been invited to play for the Danish Senior National team.   The Danes are gearing up to play England in the first round of qualification for the  2009 European Championship to be played in Turkey.
“Im excited  and really looking forward to it. ” says Stenderop, who had to red shirt this season with the WolfPack.  Stenderop has been a member of the Danish National program for the last three or four years.  “I found out about the invite in early March,” he says.   Stenderup will be the Danish teams backup setter.  “The highlight for me Internationally came two years ago when I got to play against Turkey.  The starting setter was sick and I got to play.  We won the Match.”
“Martin playing for the Danish national Team is an excellent addition to his training,” says WolfPack Head Coach Pat Hennelly. “He’ll be playing in some high pressure qualifying tournaments with older players and that environment couldn’t be better for him in the off season.”
The Danes will take on an English squad which has a number of players who are native Canadians in a two match series which goes May 8 th and 10 th.  Denmark is currently ranked somewhere between 23 rd and 25 th in Europe.
It’ll be a busy summer for Stenderup, a native of Strib.  Not only is there the European championship, but the Danish team has a number of other matches set up in Spain.    The  Danish Nationals are coached by former American  Fred Sturm who’s directed the program the last five years after coaching in the NCAA for a number of years .
 “ I haven’t seen Martin play since last May,” says Sturm” I believe in Martin's potential to develop into a very good player for our National Team.  I think Martin understands better now what it takes to become the best player he can become.  If he can continue to improve his skills and knowledge, if he can continue to improve his motivation, and if he can be in the right kind of volleyball environment, he will give himself the best possibility to develop into the best player he can become.  He is a great kid, and it would give me great pleasure to see him develop into a very fine volleyball player.”
 
Stenderup says Strums coaching style is an interesting contrast to  WolfPack Boss Pat Hennelly.  “He’s unusually quiet”  Stenderup states when comparing Strum to Hennelly.
“Martin has been chomping at the bit to play after red shirting ofr our team this season, so I am happy he’s accepted the invite to play” states Hennelly “We are looking for big things from Martin next year and this experience should have him prepared to represent the WolfPack. We are fortunate that so many of our players have represented their countries (Martin Korsbak, Robin Schoebel, Behlul Yavasgel, Colin Jaggard, Gord Perrin and Stefan Savoie being the others).
Stenderup  will be back with the WolfPack in September.

SIDELINES: Middle Martin Korsbak was also invited to play for the Senior Mens team. He declined to spend time recouperating from the ‘wear and tear’ of  the long CIS Season and to prepare himself for more of a role with the 2008-09 WolfPack. Setter Stine Christainsen  of the TRU  Womens Team was invited to play for the Danish Senior National Womens Team this summer as well . But decided to turn it down in order to return to Kamloops early.   Christainsen has played on the National team for the last few years.