Smashing Bananas setter Lefebvre joins Bobcats

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/01/2025 (240 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Matt Lefebvre made the 80-minute drive to Saskatoon to watch the Brandon University Bobcats during his Grade 11 year.

Then he made up his mind.

“Whenever I look at Brandon, I see a team that’s fun to watch. They’re always top half of Canada West, making the playoffs every year. It’s a program I really wanted to be a part of,” said the Bobcats’ latest men’s volleyball recruit for the 2025-26 season.

“They were super rowdy, super loud, really fun to watch. There’s a few guys on that team, their energy was really nice, it was good.”

Lefebvre joins Neelin libero Kingston Thomas, Vincent Massey left side Ethan Baraniuk and New Zealand national team right side Jobe McAuley in the rookie class.

The Prince Albert native reached out to the Saskatchewan Huskies as well, but they weren’t looking for a setter and passed on him. Lefebvre was looking at a few Alberta schools as well but felt Brandon was the best fit after reaching out to coach Grant Wilson.

“Those are the types of recruits we like, guys that are already intrigued by our situation and want to be part of it,” Wilson said.

“He shows a lot of promise as a setter. He’s got good skill. It seems like he’s got a really high IQ when you watch him play. He’s a competitor, he’s got decent size at about 6-4.

“He just brings some things that have potential to make him a good, quality U Sports setter.”

While P.A. is home to about 38,000, its Smashing Bananas Volleyball Club has sent a long list of athletes to the U Sports ranks, including current Bobcat Aden Sinoski.

Lefebvre said a big part of that is his coach, Rene Quintal, who led him in Sunday youth camps since he was in Grade 4.

Quintal was his coach for four years of club starting in Grade 9 and throughout his time at St. Mary High School.

“He taught me pretty much everything I know about setting,” Lefebvre said.

“He’s coached multiple guys to the U Sports and CCAA level and it’s on a simple philosophy. He follows a bunch of pro coaches, national team coaches — he’s a big Glenn Hoag guy. He taught me everything he knows.”

Lefebvre and club teammate Rueben Veith, a Huskies commit, have represented Saskatchewan at the past two Canada Cups, collecting silver medals both times. Lefebvre also captured the Saskatchewan provincial 5A volleyball title in 2023.

He will enter the BU program at an interesting time, as starting setter JJ Love has one year of eligibility left but might move on after the Bobcats host the U Sports championship on March 21-23.

He’ll join a pair of young, six-foot-one setters in Kale Fisher and Keon Torz for a position battle anyone could win come the season opener in nine months.

Lefebvre is a unique high school player in that he studies the game a ton, watching Italy’s Serie A — where former Trinity Western star Eric Loeppky plays — as well as the Volleyball Nations League and other elite competitions to learn.

Those matches, and even Canada West ones he attends, remind him he needs to spend time in the weight room and improve his physicality to jump higher and serve harder, but feels he’ll bring some strong attributes to Brandon already.

“My creativity as a setter,” Lefebvre said of his strongest asset. “I’m pretty well-coached obviously from Rene but I add a different flair to the offence. I love the back-row stuff, I enjoy running that.”

The Bobcats (4-8) are currently one spot outside the 10-team playoff picture in the 13-team league.

They begin a six-match homestand on Friday against Fraser Valley (6-8), with a chance to climb as high as eighth by Saturday night.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

» Instagram: @thomasfriesen5