Post-Secondary – Brandon Sun

Friesen joins Germany’s Netzhoppers

By Thomas Friesen 4 minute read Monday, Jul. 13, 2026

If Reinfeld to Brandon was a big move for Tom Friesen, his next one is monumental.

The Canada West men’s volleyball all-star is off to Königs Wusterhausen, Germany, to play for the Netzhoppers of the German Bundesliga this fall.

“If you told me in my first year I’d go play pro, it’d be a bit overwhelming,” Friesen said. “I was not expecting to be in Germany, top division, in my first year.

“It’s crazy, it’s only a month and a week away.”

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Bobcats sign CEGEP transfer Manikoglu

Thomas Friesen 4 minute read Preview

Bobcats sign CEGEP transfer Manikoglu

Thomas Friesen 4 minute read Thursday, Jul. 9, 2026

The Brandon University Bobcats lost two big pieces of their offence this year. They’re hoping Noah Manikoglu can help replace some of it.

The Montreal native has transferred to the Bobcats men’s basketball team for the 2026-27 Canada West season following three years at the CEGEP Division 1 level.

“This has been the goal for pretty much my whole career, being able to play university and push my potential as far as I can go,” Manikoglu said.

“It’s going to be great. It’s going to be a fun change, especially getting away from the Quebec league and seeing the rest of Canada.”

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Thursday, Jul. 9, 2026

Brandon trio fall just short at Pan Am Cup

1 minute read Monday, Jun. 29, 2026

Brandon University Bobcats Ethan Baraniuk and Matt Siebenga and assistant coach Reece Wilson of Brandon finished second at the NORCECA men’s under-21 Pan American Cup in Guatemala on Monday after Canada fell 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-14) to the unbeaten United States in the gold-medal match in Guatemala City.

Canada, which beat Mexico 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 25-22, 30-32, 15-10) in the semifinal, finished with a 4-1 record. Siebenga was named the tournament’s best blocker for most blocks, and Canada’s Tyson DeZutter was second best spiker and Matthew Brown was awarded top setting honours.

Costa Rica beat Mexico 3-1 in the bronze-medal game.

» The Brandon Sun

Basketball

Brandon University Bobcats forward Renee Dauphinais looks to pass the ball around Milica Gajic of the University of Calgary Dinos last season. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Bobcats draw favourable hoops schedule

By Thomas Friesen 4 minute read Preview

Bobcats draw favourable hoops schedule

By Thomas Friesen 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

Gil Cheung finally got his way.

When Canada West created a more cost-effective basketball travel schedule, it led to two years of the Brandon University Bobcats starting their basketball season with a challenging swing trip against Winnipeg and Manitoba.

This season, the Wesmen agreed to move their game up a week, so the Bobcats will open the season at home on Oct. 23 with just one game, then visit the Bisons the following weekend.

“It just didn’t seem fair that both teams get to load up on us and we have a one-day turnaround to play two of the top four teams in our conference,” Cheung said.

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Friday, Jun. 26, 2026

Local Sports

Riley Brunet and the Brandon University Bobcats will open the 2026-27 Canada West men's volleyball regular season at UBC Okanagan on Oct. 23. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Bobcats avoid Canada West volleyball powerhouses

By Thomas Friesen 4 minute read Preview

Bobcats avoid Canada West volleyball powerhouses

By Thomas Friesen 4 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2026

The Brandon University Bobcats volleyball schedule is out, and the most glaring part is what’s missing.

Since Canada West shortened the season to 20 matches from 24, each men’s team skips two opponents, while the women don’t see three in any given season.

This year, BU doesn’t see either Canada West or U Sports champion, as their byes include Alberta and Trinity Western.

“That’s the one that stands out the most, because every year you kind of use Alberta and Trinity as the measuring sticks in the conference,” said BU men’s head coach Grant Wilson.

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Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2026

Baseball

Mya Dueck, shown in a posed shot for the Lake Region State College Royals’ women's volleyball team, managed to balance two sports and her books over the last two years. (Kayhana Hopfauf/Lake Region) June 24, 2026

Dueck grows with post-secondary experience

By Perry Bergson 8 minute read Preview

Dueck grows with post-secondary experience

By Perry Bergson 8 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2026

Mya Dueck’s first university experience may not have been exactly what she thought it would be, but that’s OK.

After all, the 20-year-old, two-sport athlete emerged from Lake Region State College a better person.

“It was really good,” Dueck said. “I’m very glad I went. I was kind of like ‘I’m going to go to college and it’s going to change my life forever, it’s going to be this huge, amazing thing’ and it wasn’t.

“I had very high expectations, and I think they were definitely unrealistic, but I learned a lot about myself and grew a lot as a person and as an athlete.

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Tuesday, Jun. 23, 2026