Lauter, Bobcats embrace special opportunity

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This article was published 20/03/2025 (210 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Philipp Lauter not only knows how special the Brandon University Bobcats’ opportunity is this weekend, he also knows how to handle it.

The senior middle blocker is the lone starter left from 2021-22, BU’s best chance at a national berth since it captured the U Sports men’s volleyball silver medal in 2019. Three Canada West quarterfinal losses later, Lauter and the Bobcats have a second chance at glory thanks to the automatic host berth.

Brandon faces the top-seed Winnipeg Wesmen in the quarterfinals on Friday at the Healthy Living Centre at 6 p.m.

“I don’t know if it matters for anyone on the team if you’re graduating, if you’re not, this is the biggest game for everyone,” Lauter said ahead of his final weekend in blue and gold. “Even if the guys make nationals next year, which hopefully they will, it won’t be at home.

“This opportunity, for everyone, is as big as it gets.”

Lauter joined the Bobcats in January 2021, during the season lost to COVID-19. The German import started immediately and excelled almost as quickly, showing he was one of the best two-way middle blockers in the country while serving more aces than anyone in U Sports.

He was named national rookie of the year as the Bobcats rolled through two rounds of a modified playoff format, only to lose both matches in the final four and finish one win shy of nationals.

“Tough for sure. I’d say it was a bit different than the other years because it was my first year. I hadn’t really gone through the whole experience,” Lauter said.

“(I) took things for granted that I definitely don’t anymore.

One thing he’s always appreciated is the fan base in Brandon. He knows the building is expected to hit maximum capacity of 1,800, just like when BU hosted and won the Canada West final over the Trinity Western Spartans, who are staying home this weekend for the first time since the 2000s.

For Lauter, that’s fewer than half the spectators at his most-attended match. Back in his post-secondary debut at Emmanuel University in Georgia, Lauter kicked off pre-season play in Hawaii against the hosts of the Rainbow Warrior Classic. Lauter said there were 4,500 fans in attendance as Hawaii completed a dominant sweep.

“It was unreal. I remember it was match point against and you just want to be there. You don’t want it to be over,” Lauter said. “You want to have a moment to try and take it in and experience the environment.

“Everyone handles that a little different but in the grand scheme of things — and we’ve done a good job of this so far — our environment doesn’t really matter, be it a practice game or a game in front of thousands of people, once that first whistle’s blown, you’re just playing volleyball. All that’s important are the nine-by-nine metres in front of you.”

Lauter hit .362 in his rookie year and took a dip to .201 the following season, setter JJ Love’s first campaign running the offence.

Lauter bounced back to .324 last year while recording a massive 128 blocks.

He added 85 blocks this year, with 135 kills and a .343 hitting percentage against a tougher slate of opponents than in 2021-22.

The biggest change from 2021 to now, in the eyes of head coach Grant Wilson, doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.

“His mindset more than anything,” Wilson said. “He’s a guy that just wants to get better and wants our team to get better. He’s learned to accept things he can control and let go of things he can’t and be focused on what he needs to do to be his best.

“That’s made him better, made our team better and the results speak for themselves.”

BOBCATS DRAW NATION’S

BEST IN QUARTERFINALS

Brandon started the season knowing it would sit three wins away from its first U Sports title this week.

It went 10-10 in the regular season but bowed out in the quarterfinals, failing to win a set in a 2-0 series loss to the host UBC Thunderbirds.

They’ve had a few weeks to regroup and prepare for the biggest moment, accepting the fact they’d face one of the best teams in the tournament as the lowest-ranked Canada West team.

“I said it in September, the number one thing for us is A, get better and B, be consistent. I feel like we’ve gotten quite a bit better,” Wilson said.

“Our consistency improved a lot over Term 2, perhaps not quite to the level we wanted it but definitely better. As always, our team’s goal is to play our best volleyball at the end of the year and we have that opportunity in front of us.”

Interestingly, the Bobcats played the other three teams on their half of the bracket at the HLC, beating all three once. Brandon swept Queen’s in its pre-season tournament, then split Saskatchewan in its first home weekend of the regular season.

BU went 6-4 at home in Canada West action, including a Senior Night triumph over the Wesmen on Feb. 8 to earn a weekend split.

Since then, Winnipeg has been red hot, winning six straight matches to capture its first-ever Canada West title.

“It’s a massive challenge. They’ve been essentially the number one team from the get-go,” Wilson said.

“Only have a couple of losses to their record and there’s a reason, they’re really good. They do a lot of things well, they don’t make a lot of mistakes, they’ve played great volleyball from start to finish.

“That being said, we’re playing at home, we’re going to have a big crowd to help energize us and we feel like if we do the things we do well, it’ll give us the best opportunity to succeed and that’s all we can ask for.”

Wilson recalls talking to his players back in 2019 about how the raucous home environment impacted the conference final that year. They said the keys are to prepare the same way they always do but understand the energy will feel different.

Each BU point will draw a louder roar, and the Wesmen will draw more satisfaction from quieting Bobcat Nation for a few moments.

Wilson expects a few shaky moments early but has been preparing his guys to treat it like any other match.

“Let’s face it, every kid growing up that plays volleyball lives to try and be in that spotlight at the end of the year. That’s something they’ve dreamed of, looked forward to. When you’re in it, it can affect you in different ways,” Wilson said.

“The team that settles in and can stay focused and not let the (distractions) get a hold of them, they stand a better chance.”

Good luck predicting exactly which eight players Wilson writes on his rotation card on Friday.

It’ll be Love at setter, Lauter in the middle, Riley Grusing at right side and Liam Pauls at left side. Michael Flor will be one of the liberos.

But the other three have changed throughout the year and even throughout matches.

When healthy, Tom Friesen is the most effective option in the other left side spot, with Australian Sam Chen and Crocus Plains product Ryden Hargreaves showing flashes of brilliance there.

Chris Bryant and Riley Brunet have both proved capable of accompanying Lauter in the middle.

Jon Droppert started as the passing libero, but Chen has held that job down the stretch.

And Wilson isn’t afraid to put a few more guys in during key moments, namely backup setter Kale Fisher as a serving sub. He’ll set a few points while Love shows off his sneaky cannon of a right arm.

Third-stringer Keon Torz, one of the best defenders on the team, also serves late in sets and can turn a crucial point around with a dig or two.

“All hands on deck, it’s been that way all year,” Wilson said. “We can put a pretty good lineup out there with about 10 or 11 guys depending upon the day, and then we have depth guys, role guys beyond that.

“I don’t see it being any different this weekend.”

The Bobcats have been to nationals four times, earning bronze in 2009, silver in 2011, bronze in 2013 and silver in 2019. They’ve been close to this stage a handful more times, with lineups clearly capable of making a title run if not for the powerhouses they ran into in the Canada West playoffs.

There were years they should have made it and didn’t. This time, they didn’t earn a spot but they have one nonetheless.

If you think the Bobcats are taking it for granted, think again.

“Everybody always thinks, ‘Oh you’re so close, it’s going to be next year.’ Next thing you know, a few years go by and next year didn’t happen,” Wilson said.

“This group recognizes that. They understand this is the chance of a lifetime that not many U Sports athletes get to have, playing a national championship on your home court.

“Whatever the end results are … enjoy the moment. You’re going to have memories that last a lifetime.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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