Gauntlet awaits BU Bobcats volleyball teams

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This article was published 28/06/2024 (645 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a good thing the Brandon University Bobcats have an automatic berth as the U Sports championship host.

Their path through Canada West men’s volleyball couldn’t possibly be tougher.

The conference released its 2024-25 schedule on Wednesday, revealing the Bobcats won’t face MacEwan University or UBC Okanagan. The two cellar dwellers combined for a record of 4-44 last season.

If it’s as close as it was this year, with four teams tied for third at 16-8 and just three wins separating first and seventh, Brandon’s hopes of hosting playoff volleyball took a big hit.

BU coach Grant Wilson sees the pros and cons.

“It’s the first year of the format and it’s not ideal,” he said. “We would love the chance to play everybody but it is what it is. The schedule, at a quick glance, is a tough one but I think that’s great. We want a tough schedule this year. It’s a pretty significant year and we know things at the end are going to be tough.

“It’s going to help us prepare for what’s down the road. Starting on the road against two of the best teams in the country [Trinity Western and UBC] will be a massive challenge, but I think it’s good.”

When the idea of shortening to 20 matches from 24 was tabled, Wilson commented one team would miss the two worst teams and another would avoid the two top ones. Sure enough, it happened as the Winnipeg Wesmen, who finished one win back of BU at 15-9 last year, but upset Mount Royal in the first round, don’t play either conference finalist — Alberta or Trinity Western.

On paper, it’s a three- or four-match swing in favour of Brandon’s rival. Since the top two teams excluding BU earn nationals berths but the order of finish in conference playoffs must be respected when seeding the eight qualifiers, anything less than a conference silver means BU will be an underdog in the U Sports quarterfinals.

“If there’s ever a year that can happen, this is it,” Wilson said.

“For sure we’d like a higher seed but at the end of the day you’re going to be playing really good teams at nationals and I don’t think it really matters. There’s no free pass there. We gotta find a way to continue to improve throughout this tough schedule and play our best volleyball at the end of the year.”

The Bobcats start on Oct. 25-26 at Trinity Western. Their home opener is against the Saskatchewan Huskies on Nov. 8-9.

They welcome the reigning national champion Alberta Golden Bears on Nov. 29-30.

Brandon has three straight home weekends in the second semester, starting against Fraser Valley on Jan. 24-25, with Calgary and Winnipeg following.

For the BU women, that could be a massive stretch. They won just one match last season but return most of their starting lineup.

“Late in the season, hopefully, we’re at our best and those are teams we can definitely beat,” said interim head coach Kailan Robinson.

“Fraser Valley’s definitely good but Calgary and Winnipeg, if we’re at our best we can definitely beat them and have good games with them.”

Since there are 14 women’s teams, the Bobcats have three opponents they won’t see. This year, one is the defending national champion UBC.

“Maybe it’s a good thing we don’t have to play UBC, defending champions, but we played really well against them last year, took a set off them so I’m also sad we don’t get that rematch,” Robinson said, adding the opening stretch is still tough with TWU, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

If BU can steal a win or two early and take care of business in Regina on Nov. 22-23, it can have meaningful matches much later into 2025, since Canada West has expanded to a 10-team post-season

The first weekend features the No. 7 hosting the No. 10 seed and No. 8 entertaining No. 9 in best-of-three series.

The regular best-of-three quarterfinals run the following weekend, with a “final four” weekend to close on March 8-9.

However, BU has a lot to work out internally first.

Robinson confirmed former Elton Sabre Laura Ramsey has left the team to pursue a nursing degree out of province, while Ava Pearson is transferring to the University of Winnipeg.

Robinson isn’t sure if BU grads Brianne Stott and Camryn Hildebrand will come back and use their remaining eligibility, nor if Kallie Ball will return to graduate pending acceptance into dentistry school.

And Robinson’s contract ends on Sunday.

BU has yet to comment on the status of tenured coach Lee Carter, who was placed on leave soon after the 2022-23 season.

“It’s unclear and unconfirmed what’s happening as of July 1,” Robinson said. “There’s talks of a contract extension and that’s as far as I know.”

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