Cougars add Wayway product Cadotte

Summer Cadotte is going from one provincial champion to the next.

The Waywayseecappo product, who moved to Winnipeg four years ago, just captured an 18U girls provincial club volleyball championship with Winman in Brandon on Sunday.

She’s heading back to the Wheat City in the fall to join the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference defending champion Assiniboine College Cougars.

“It was a really good win. The whole weekend was really consistent. We’re reaching our peak right now, which is really good,” Cadotte said.

“I feel really excited being able to join a new team, meet new people and … play under (head coach) Kevin (Neufeld). He’s such a decorated coach and I’m excited to learn a lot from him.”

Cadotte started playing volleyball in Grade 6, joining the Waywayseecappo Badgers club after watching her older sister play for Russell Club Volleyball.

The Badgers turned heads as one of the top 10 teams in the province at the 13U level, then finished fourth in 14U the following year.

Cadotte said she was offered a spot on the Junior Bisons Gold club the following season, and her family moved to Winnipeg, in part, to let her seize the opportunity.

That Bisons team won provincial gold the following year, and Cadotte found success with her Vincent Massey Trojans high school team as well, winning the West Winnipeg Athletic Conference title and reaching the final four at junior varsity AAAA provincials in 2023.

Cadotte played for Shock Volleyball Club last year, training under coach Bruce Boroski, who pointed her in Neufeld’s direction.

“Bruce is a really good technical coach too and I feel like he and Kevin have some similarities,” Cadotte said.

“For him to put trust in Kevin and tell me I can go there, train under him and develop well, I think that’s a big part of why I chose to go too.”

Neufeld had already committed to the five-foot-10 setter before provincials, but certainly liked what he saw as Cadotte’s Winman team ran the table.

“I think if she’s not the best, she’s one of the best setters in the province. Nevaeh Martin made huge strides this year with our team as well and wasn’t far behind Tyra (Lasuik). It’s nice to know we have two pretty solid people at the position,” Neufeld said.

“Technically, she’s so solid and she’s confident. Obviously, she’s got good people on that team to set the ball to, but she’s got a really good understanding of who to get the ball to, she’s a very good setter and that goes a long way.”

The Cougars’ rookie class is loaded with size this year, featuring Brandon’s Layla Desjardin, Neepawa’s Paige Kaspick and Virden’s Tyra Wilkinson of Westman Volleyball Club, Roblin’s Dillan Kendrick, Rochester Christian University outside hitter Karly Dueck, Stonewall opposite Rhea Myers and libero Jordan Hudon, who helped Dynamo Volleyball Club improve upon its No. 5 ranking and earn bronze on Sunday.

The newcomers will have plenty of opportunities to earn playing time as the Cougars graduated nine players following a program-best 13-5 finish. AC swept Canadian Mennonite University 2-0 in the best-of-three final series for its first-ever league title.

Cadotte feels she’s ready to help the Cougars defend.

“My consistency over the years has developed really well,” she said.

“I’m able to read the game very well now, looking at mismatches at the net and knowing who to set. I like to feed my hitters who are doing really well.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com