Garden Valley wins BU volleyball tourney
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The Garden Valley Zodiacs won their most important match of the weekend on Saturday afternoon.
Late that evening, they captured the Brandon University varsity boys’ volleyball tournament title with a 2-0 sweep of Saskatchewan’s Estevan Elecs at the Healthy Living Centre.
But the big one for the Winkler school was avenging some important losses to the Neelin Spartans in the quarterfinals.
Garden Valley Zodiacs middle blocker Alfredo Enns was named MVP of the Brandon University varsity boys' volleyball tournament on Saturday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“It was pretty nice. Neelin beat us both in basketball and in volleyball in (AAA) provincials in the final, so finally got the W over them, which was nice,” said tournament MVP Alfredo Enns.
“It was an accomplishment, getting over a little hump from throughout the high school career.”
The Zodiacs were thoroughly dominant from the start of pool play on Friday. They swept the Crocus Plainsmen, Elton Sabres and Melita Marauders without anyone scoring more than 21 points against them.
In fact, the Spartans were the only ones to do so all weekend with a 26-24 first set.
“We definitely saw improvement throughout the weekend and got better as a team as we kept going on,” Enns said.
“We don’t go down after points. We stay up and have a really great group of guys and can all … hold each other accountable for our mistakes and our success.”
Noah Vandenberg earned a tournament all-star nod after his Garden Valley Zodiacs swept the Estevan Elecs in the final. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
In the final, Grade 11 outside hitter Noah Vandenberg picked Estevan apart at the net, from the back row and from the service line en route to an all-star selection, along with Dauphin’s Gabe Beaudin (fourth place), Elton’s Jack Hutton (fifth), Yorkton’s Blake Needham (third) and Estevan’s Aidan Turner and Cameron Milbrandt.
Enns, a six-foot-five middle blocker, was named an all-star at this event last year along with Beaudin, who is committed to BU for the 2026-27 Canada West season.
Enns said he’s hoping to play university volleyball but hasn’t signed yet.
“Brandon is definitely one of my options, my first option,” he said.
“The atmosphere in the gym, the community, it really strikes me. It’s more than any of the university teams I’ve seen that I’ve gone to.”
The Elton Sabres celebrate their three-set win over the Neelin Spartans to finish in fifth place. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
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