Gamache kicks off hometown Bobcats’ 2027 class

Grant Wilson wasted no time ensuring that the best Grade 12 volleyball player in Brandon is staying home.

The Brandon University Bobcats head coach has signed Neelin Spartans outside hitter/libero Lucas Gamache for the 2027-28 Canada West men’s volleyball season.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Lucas in our BVC club the last couple of years. He’s … the type of student-athlete we want as a Bobcat,” Wilson said.

“In our eyes, he can play left side, he can play libero, he’s a guy that plays the game with a pretty high volleyball IQ and … he’s a great teammate. He’s not worried about personal stats or personal accolades; he’s worried about how he can help the team get better. That checks all the boxes for us.”

While Gamache has yet to play a match in his senior year, it was already clear he’d play post-secondary volleyball in the Wheat City. He weighed the bigger-fish-in-smaller-pond scenario of joining the Assiniboine College Cougars against the unknowns of fighting for playing time as an undersized attacker.

Those who have followed the six-foot-one phenom through the past few years could have easily predicted his move. He had the option of playing in his own age class or an older one for the Brandon Volleyball Club each of the past two years, and chose the latter both times.

“Some people do that, but for me, I said, ‘Why not play up?’” Gamache said.

“(Growing) up with my brother (Josh), he’s always pushed me to be a better person. That ties it all in to playing up and playing with the older guys. It gives me more motivation to be the best one on the court.

“I’m excited for the environment I’m going to be around, how much better I’ll get at the U Sports level. It’s unreal how much more physical they are and how much better all-around the teams are.”

Gamache has played varsity ball at Neelin for two years now, helping the Spartans extend their string of AAA provincial titles to three. He scored the winning kill in the final as a sophomore in 2024, then was named a tournament all-star as a team with just one Grade 12 starter ran the table at provincials.

He spent the summer training with the Bobcats and other post-secondary players at open gyms at the Healthy Living Centre. More than anything else, those sessions may have been what convinced him to chase a roster spot.

“Unreal volleyball. Being a part of that, for me, it’s a feeling you can’t really express,” Gamache said. “The guys there are unbelievably nice; they treat you well, and it’s a lot of fun to be around. That was another reason I want to go there.”

Wilson said he fit right in with the big guys.

“He plays the game way higher than his size, for sure,” Wilson said. “When you watch him play in the front row now, last year as a 17U playing 18U, he was one of the top attackers in Manitoba. He can battle at the net.

“Long-term, is that the right fit for him? Maybe not, but we know he can do it. To us, that’s important: having guys who can plug and play in practice, play different positions, it makes them so much more valuable to the team. He’ll be a valuable addition because of that.”

Gamache plans to study geology at BU, but is glad to sort out his plans for next year and focus on the next two-and-a-half months as his team is no longer a young, surprising contender but the team to beat in AAA.

“We set a standard last season as all Grade 11s but one guy on the court,” Gamache said. “We’ve got to keep the standard up, stay high and hopefully do it again, go for the four-peat.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com