Cougars confident in middle tandem

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This article was published 21/01/2025 (241 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Conner Orr and Carter Lehmann have embraced an attitude some athletes never understand.

Ask either of the Assiniboine College middle blockers about their desire for personal accolades and you’ll get the same answer. They only care about their team’s success.

They’ve had their fair share this season, including a second-straight win over the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers at home on Saturday.

“It takes a team to win, not just a single person,” Lehmann said. “Pulling a blocker and the left side getting a point, that feels like a point for me as well. It’s everyone working together, no matter what your role is.”

“For me, it’s winning the little battles,” added Orr. “When I get someone to jump with me, it’s a little victory that keeps me going and keeps me jumping.

“I know my guys on the outside are getting a single block and I trust them to kill the ball.”

Their patience paid off on Saturday though. Orr piled up 10 kills and three blocks while Lehmann posted five kills and seven blocks in the five-set thriller.

While the Blazers took a weekend split by coming back in their rematch later that day — it was postponed from Friday due to highway conditions — the Cougars left the weekend confident about what’s now nearly guaranteed to be the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference men’s volleyball semifinal.

“It’s a good rivalry. I think we should have them every time. Our whole team, every time we come in, you look in any one of our eyes and you see win, you see fight, you see savage,” Orr said.

“We do a huge amount of mental training on how we prepare ourselves and how we hold ourselves. We’re not coming in here unprepared. Every day, we come in with the mindset that we’re going to put every ounce of effort on the court.”

It’s just Orr’s second season at Assiniboine but Lehmann said he’s learned a lot about the position from the former Crocus Plainsmen. The biggest thing is read blocking.

“He likes to stay patient so he can close correctly instead of guessing like a lot of middles do and I used to do before,” Lehmann said. “Taking a second and watching the ball over to the hitter is a big thing he does really well.”

Lehmann has found his way into the starting rotation as a rookie out of Gladstone, much like a certain Cougars’ star of a few years ago. Paycen Warkentin, who ended up starting for the Brandon University Bobcats and being named a Canada West first-team all-star, began his post-secondary at AC and earned the MCAC MVP award in his second season.

He’s now an assistant coach for the Cougars and his hometown rookie is enjoying following his path.

“It’s been everything. Playing volleyball at this level is something I’ve always wanted to do and getting this opportunity is amazing,” Lehmann said, adding competition within the team is fierce.

“Everyone’s biting at everyone’s heels to get on the court, so just focusing on yourself and improving little things like closing a block or hitting it correctly to a different spot.”

The two middle blockers have fit nicely into an offence that still depends primarily on its outside hitters, and for good reason. Noah Barcellona sits second in the league with 88 kills while Zane Dyck is fourth at 79.

AC (6-7) still has five regular-season matches left but has secured a playoff spot and is now gunning for home-court advantage for the single-match semifinal. Unless the Blazers (8-5) run the table and the Providence Pilots (11-1) drop a few matches, it’ll be against CMU.

Since the Pilots are hosting the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championship, the other finalist also gets a berth. While the past six finals have featured the Blazers and Pilots, it’s far from a sure thing now.

“It doesn’t matter how the past was, this is where we are right now,” Orr said. “Right now, we’re winners. Right now, we’re contenders.”

• • •

The MCAC women’s volleyball playoff picture is shaping up similarly, with Providence at 11-1 and St. Boniface (2-10) nearing elimination. However, AC climbed to 7-6 with a pair of five-set wins over CMU (5-8) on Saturday and is on track to host the semifinal.

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