There has been a lot of player movement for both Brandon University Bobcat volleyball teams and their head coaches can’t wait to see what the new season will have in store for their players.
The men’s volleyball team lost six players — including starting left side Paul Robidoux and middle Jon Sloane to graduation as well as starting right side Ben Glue — and went searching this summer for outside hitters.
They have seven new players committed to come to camp after the Labour Day weekend, and possibly an eighth. The squad recently added Sebastien Steigmeier, a 6-foot-7 right side from Geneva, Switzerland, to the roster. Steigmeier plays on the Swiss national team and will redshirt this season. They are also waiting for enrolment confirmation on a middle who will redshirt this season as well.
Some key recruits include left side Rob McLean and middle Randy Preval, both of whom are from New York and transferred to Brandon this season, as well as Conan Mickey, a left side from Brandon.
The Bobcats won’t just have a bunch of players, but also a new head coach in Grant Wilson, who takes over for Russ Paddock. Paddock is taking a year away from the team to focus on his duties as athletic director.
While Wilson is new as head coach, he said the players won’t notice much of a change in philosophy as he’s assisted Paddock for the last seven years. He hopes, with so many new faces in camp, that the players will gel quickly.
“My goal heading into training camp is to have us become a team as quickly as possible,” Wilson said. “I think it is going to take some time, like anything, but with us taking the right steps to get them ready, I think we will be. It’s pretty key in our conference to get off to a good start. It doesn’t matter who you play, you can’t afford not to be ready and we definitely want to be ready come that first weekend.”
The construction of the new Healthy Living Centre may assist with team-building exercises. The gym won’t be available for practices until the middle of September at the earliest.
While that could be frustrating for the team, Wilson, who has booked practice times at Assiniboine Community College, is hoping to turn it into a big positive.
“In my opinion, it’s one of those things that will make us a better team,” he said. “Sometimes you need a little bit of adversity to get people to rally together and hopefully that will be one of those small steps for us to get headed in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, the women’s team added six new players with five of them — Mary Thomson, Jodie Baker, Gillian Leech, Brooke Huculak and Jasmin Lafournaise — coming from the Westman region.
Most of those players also came through the Storm club volleyball program, which uses a similar philosophy to Bobcats coach Lee Carter. That, combined with the personalities of the returning players, should help the squad come together fairly quickly when they gather in early September.
“Our team is pretty welcoming, so I don’t think it will be an issue,” Carter said. “I think it’s going to be fun. The girls kind of know each other and they’ve talked a bit and they understand where we’re trying to get to. It’s going to be a fun season.”
The summer has given Carter a lot of hope for the season as well. Despite losing five players — including starting left side Jaryn Ruether to graduation and starting libero Lindsay McLaughlin — Carter saw a lot of improvements in his returning and new players this off-season.
He liked the way left side Shanlee McLennan, who’s going into her second year, played at the National Team Challenge Cup in Winnipeg, in which she was named the tournament’s most valuable player. McLennan and third-year left side Chloe Reimer are both at the national beach volleyball championships this weekend and Baker made the junior national team.
Carter, who coached the senior B national team, said Leech didn’t miss making the junior squad by much.
Carter said the Bobcats will be a ball-control team and he’s anxious to see how much the other players improved when they come together in September.
“I think we’re going to run a pretty fast offence,” he said. “I think both Kellie (Baker) and Mary (Thomson) are athletic enough to do it and that’s exciting. I can’t wait to see how we look together. … It’s going to be a fun year. Once we get our new facility, look out.”
» cjaster@brandonsun.com
@07 agate GAME HED:<t-2f$>BOBCAT VOLLEYBALL NEW AND
DEPARTING PLAYERS<t$>
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Additions
Player Pos. Ht. Hometown
Jodie Baker M/RS 6-1 Brandon
Kendra Bommersbach Lib. 5-5 Winnipeg
Brooke Huculak LS 5-10 Forrest
Jasmine Lafournaise M 6-0 Russell
Gillian Leech LS 5-10 Brandon
Mary Thomson S 5-10 Brandon
Departures
Player Pos. Ht. Hometown
Niki Friesen LS 5-10 Brandon
Lindsay McLaughlin Lib. 6-0 Brandon
Laura Popplestone Lib. 5-6 Brandon
Jaryn Ruether LS 5-10 Gr. Prairie, Alta.
Claire Willerton RS 6-3 Winnipeg
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Additions
Player Pos. Ht. Hometown
Roy Ching S 6-4 Nelson, N.Z.
Jeremy Davies Lib. 5-8 Calgary, Alta.
Rob McLean LS 6-2 E. Northport, N.Y.
Conan Mickey LS 6-2 Brandon
Randy Preval M 6-2 Queens Vil., N.Y.
r-Sebastien Steigmeier RS 6-7 Geneva
Scott Vercaigne LS 6-2 Winnipeg
Departures
Player Pos. Ht. Hometown
Ben Glue RS 6-2 Nelson, N.Z.
Brock Payne LS 6-5 Brandon
Luke Reynolds S 6-1 Melbourne, Aus.
Paul Robidoux LS 6-3 Winnipeg
Jon Sloane M 6-9 Winchester, Ont.
Brett Young LS 6-2 Souris
r — will redshirt the 2012 season
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition August 18, 2012
Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments
You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.