Ste. Rose star Wildeboer joins Bobcats

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This article was published 19/06/2025 (288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brynn Wildeboer has proven she’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.

Whether it’s changing positions within her volleyball team or driving three hours each way to play for a better one, she takes challenges head-on.

She’ll face a new one in the jump from small-town single-A volleyball to U Sports as the lone rookie in the Brandon University Bobcats class of 2025.

“I’m so excited. Going from such a small town to such a well-known, bigger U Sports team is really exciting and going to be a lot of pressure to excel,” Wildeboer said.

The Ste. Rose product started her volleyball career as a setter but switched to left side around her 16-and-under year. While just five-foot-seven, “Being an attacker and being able to be the offence instead of running it, I got way more competitive and serious about it,” she said.

Wildeboer played three years of varsity ball while spending her club seasons with the Parkland Vipers.

In Grade 12, she helped the Celtics to a fourth-place finish at A provincials, dropping a 2-1 semifinal to the eventual champion Gilbert Plains Trojans.

The previous year, Club West Volleyball coach Steve Densmore approached Wildeboer and Ste. Rose setter Katie Preston about playing for his Virden-based team. They weren’t sure about the three-hour commute but watched the team, including Manitoba’s player of the year Jersey Hansen-Young, and figured it might be worth the trip.

“We saw Jersey and all of them and went, ‘OK, they’ll be pretty good.’ It changed our mind,” said Wildeboer, who calculated she and Preston spent more than 12 24-hour days worth of driving for Club West practice alone.

And it was worth it as they captured a provincial gold medal they never dreamed they’d win in years prior.

“I’ve never even been close to doing that, especially being from the Parkland. That was a pretty big deal.”

Earlier in the season, Bobcats coach Kailan Robinson’s Brandon Volleyball Club girls played Wildeboer’s team and they connected after the match.

Wildeboer had already signed her letter of intent to play for Canadian Mennonite University of the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference but changed her mind when Robinson offered her a chance to play a level up.

“It for sure was (hard),” Wildeboer said, “… figuring out pros and cons of both schools and figuring out what was best for me.

“I just know that I’m competitive enough and I can work towards being better and I just didn’t want to limit myself to playing college compared to U Sports.”

Wildeboer’s upside is limited at five-foot-seven, but especially with Canada West women’s teams having eight substitutions per set as opposed to the standard volleyball rule of six, there’s a place for her game in the Bobcats’ lineup.

Robinson played Jayde Hansen-Young as a defensive specialist for a few rotations last year. Since she’s gone, Wildeboer can step into that role.

“That’s more where I see her. She’s someone I wouldn’t be afraid to use in the front row, though,” Robinson said. “She does well considering her height. She can still jump, take away space and make those crafty shots.

“She brings that really good backcourt game, the serve receive but mostly defensively. She’s really athletic and somebody I think should be playing U Sports.”

Wildeboer is open to whatever opportunities she gets. She said she’s in the gym every day and playing beach and indoor volleyball when she can throughout the summer.

“If she wants me attacking, I’ll work towards improving my vertical,” Wildeboer said. “If she wants me as a DS or a lib, then I’ll keep continuing my serve receive and defensive practices.”

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