Bobcats land coveted middle Siebenga

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This article was published 25/11/2023 (862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Grant Wilson gets this little grin of satisfaction or excitement, maybe both, about a small percentage of his recruits.

The Brandon University Bobcats head coach feels he hit a lead-off home run with his first for the 2024-25 Canada West men’s volleyball season. Matthew Siebenga of Hamilton, Ont., has committed to the school that’s hosting the U Sports championship in his rookie year.

“Super excited to add Matthew to our group,” Wilson said. “Really strong, physical young athlete that’s been putting a lot of time in at the NEP (National Excellence Program) in Gatineau, (Que.), working on his game. We feel like he’s a really good fit for our program.”

Siebenga is currently in his second consecutive fall with NEP. He met Bobcats Kale Fisher and Jon Droppert there last year, which factored into his decision.

The six-foot-seven middle blocker could have joined one of Canada’s blue-blood men’s volleyball programs at home in the McMaster Marauders, but said he simply always wanted to get out of town for his university career.

When Fisher told him about BU, he was intrigued and got in touch with Wilson. Siebenga visited BU three weeks ago and watched the Bobcats sweep the Manitoba Bisons — and also saw his sister, Chelsea, defeat the BU women.

“It lived up to the hype and more,” Siebenga said. “I’m really excited. I love the team, I love the team culture. Also Grant, great coach, great style of play.”

Siebenga grew up playing volleyball and basketball until his hoops team folded and he focused on volleyball. He was inspired from a young age as his father, Nathan, coached the Redeemer College Royals of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association.

If you ask Wilson and Siebenga about the kid’s playing style, they highlight the same things. Wilson compares him to current starters Philipp Lauter and Paycen Warkentin, who might seldom be the tallest middles on the floor but move well laterally to block and attack with a purpose.

In a rare twist these days, Siebenga says his favourite part of the game is blocking, not hitting.

“It’s so satisfying sealing a block and just doing that perfectly. Even if you don’t get the block and just get touches and pretty much a free ball on your side, if you can do that it just benefits the team so much,” Siebenga said. “I look at the style of play the middles already play at Brandon and those middles are just fantastic read blockers.”

He added, “I feel like if Grant’s such a great coach at doing it, he can complement me well, getting fast out to the pins and closing well. I feel like showing up ready, having chemistry with Kale, I can definitely see great potential throughout this.”

The Bobcats were in action on Friday night in Winnipeg in a match which ended after deadline. They visit the Wesmen again today at 5 p.m.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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