Bobcats to showcase bright volleyball future

Your first look at Brandon University’s next hopeful national title contender is tonight.

The Bobcats men’s volleyball team hosts the McMaster University Marauders at the Healthy Living Centre at 7 p.m., following the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg’s match at 5 o’clock to open BU’s pre-season tournament.

This isn’t to say Brandon’s about to go from a 7-13 season and first-round exit to a nationals appearance in a year after losing its two best players in outside hitters Tom Friesen and Liam Pauls.

Rather, it’s an endorsement of the team’s young corps and what it could become in a few years.

Through a month of training, Bobcats head coach Grant Wilson had high hopes for this group from a development perspective, and feels the group is on the right track.

“It’s maybe the first team in history where we feel like it doesn’t matter one through 18 who steps onto the court in a scrimmage-type situation, and the level doesn’t really change. We’re very happy with the level of all 18 guys,” said Wilson.

“How high that level is, I don’t know until we start playing other teams, but I do know the depth within the group is as good as it’s ever been, if not the best it’s been. Part of that is how good the young guys are.

“The first-year guys have done more than hold their own — they’re pushing guys for starting spots.”

In the past, the multi-time Canada West coach of the year has made similar statements about the team, even though it was apparent to anyone who watched the team that there was a significant gap between Elliott Viles or Philipp Lauter and the first guy off the bench, let alone No. 18.

But it’s different now. While it’s still a stretch to say a few of the new players could step in without the team missing a beat, there are fewer “safe” starting jobs than ever, and most positions have more than one backup who could overtake a Day 1 starter.

Outside hitter Ethan Baraniuk is back from a second straight summer representing Team Canada, this time with the under-21 squad after leading the nation’s U19 team in scoring at the world championship in 2025.

The former Vincent Massey Viking made the Canada West all-rookie team last year and now has a clear path to a second-year breakout.

If you stopped in at a September practice, you’d have zero clue that outside hitter Mason Lange just started at BU last month. He’s ready.

Six-foot-five setter Matt Lefebvre brings some of the physicality Brandon’s national-title-winning setter JJ Love delivered. While this year’s rule change regarding attacking makes it a little tougher for setters to score — attackers can’t slam the ball down like they used to — he still brings massive upside as a blocker.

This year, Brandon actually has middle blockers to push Matt Siebenga and Riley Brunet. Barring more recruiting, one of Luke Schroeder, Shae Quennelle and Alfredo Enns will have to replace the fifth-year Brunet.

Import opposite Jobe McAuley redshirted last season and is still a few steps behind captain Liam Kindle. However, Baraniuk has played the position for the Bobcats already, and they have other outsides like Ryden Hargreaves and Sam Chen pushing for playing time.

After the 2025-26 campaign, I asked Wilson if he might let that future start sooner, giving the first- and second-year guys more time to grow through game action this season.

He said he plays for the best chance to win each night, rather than thinking years down the road, until the unlikely event that BU becomes mathematically eliminated from post-season contention. Since the two teams Brandon doesn’t face this year are Alberta and Trinity Western, it’s tough to foresee this team falling short of the top 10 out of 13.

With the potential of this young corps, it’ll only go up from this season.

The Bobcats play four matches this weekend. On Friday, they play the Winnipeg Wesmen at 2 p.m.

BU takes on Saskatchewan on Saturday at 7 p.m., then faces Manitoba on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Season tickets include this weekend, while general admission is $5.

“It’s the same as it is every year coming into the pre-season. We’re not going to ride six starters; we’re going to give people an opportunity to earn a starting spot for more meaningful games. We’ll try different combinations, different roles for different guys,” Wilson said.

“You’ll see guys playing the game the right way and playing well as a group together.”