Cougars look to shake status quo in MCAC

Some captains would look at the number of fresh faces around the Assiniboine College Cougars and see growing pains ahead.

Josh Gamache sees the opportunity ahead of him as a locked-in starter for his third year in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference.

“I’m really ready to lead this group. I’ve been put in a position where I’m part of the leadership corps and it’s a big responsibility I have to fill, and I’m really excited to be part of that,” Gamache said.

“We’re a young squad and there’s excitement in all of them. You see it in practice, pre-season, everybody’s excited including me and it’s going to get better as we go on.”

The Cougars men’s volleyball team kicks off the regular season at home against the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers today at 6 p.m.

On Saturday at noon, they’ll welcome the Red River Rebels back for their first MCAC action since 2019-20.

Head coach Dan Ashfield said the focus of the pre-season was developing chemistry off the court, as eight rookies are finding their way in a new league. They played a limited pre-season, losing four matches 3-0 to Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference teams in Red Deer two weeks ago.

This season, especially early, Ashfield is relying on Gamache and co-captain Carter Lehmann to keep the group on track.

“Especially Josh, he just wants it. He has that attitude, has that experience, has that look in his eyes … he’s here to show the young guys what it takes,” Ashfield said.

“Same with Carter. He has that experience, especially with the mental game. He’s shaking things off quite well and that’s something for the first-years to take on as well.”

Lehmann will spend most of his time as an outside hitter this year, having played a few different attacking roles during his career. He averaged 1.92 kills per set last year, hitting .177 behind all-conference outside hitter Nathaniel Berube, who has since transferred to Northwest Polytechnic of the ACAC.

Middle blockers Anthony Holod and Ethan Olson are back, along with Vincent Massey Viking Logan Van Santen, who can play in the middle or as an opposite.

Either Van Santen or Nunavut product Eliyah Kilabuk should see starting time as AC’s opposite hitter, while another rookie will have to win the starting setter job as Miami’s Luke Swain and Dion Dudas of Lethbridge, Alta., are battling.

“They’re smaller, jump well, very athletic … serve well, set well, defend well. It can go either way,” Ashfield said.

At least one more rookie will have to step up right away, and Gamache feels outside hitter Tanner Rajczakowski is on track to be that guy.

“He’s going to be part of our core this year … As he develops his mental game, he’s going to be a beast in the MCAC this year,” Gamache said.

“He’s a physical guy; jumps high, swings hard, it’s just those little details he has to perfect and he’s going to be really good.”

As teams adjust to Volleyball Canada’s new rules for 2026-27, the Cougars are among those most impacted by the live ceiling rule.

Their notoriously low ceiling is now in play, provided the ball contacts a spot above the field of play and stays on the same team’s side.

The Cougars have a home-heavy schedule in the fall, playing six of their first eight matches in Brandon.

The 20-match regular season wraps up at home on Feb. 13 against the four-time defending champion Providence Pilots.

The top seed earns a bye to the best-of-three final, against the winner of a single-elimination semifinal between Nos. 2 and 3.

The MCAC champion heads to Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association nationals in Charlottetown on Match 11-14.

Before the Cougars can think about that, they need to try to end a seven-year streak of Providence and CMU meeting in the league final. They went 9-9 last year, then lost to the Blazers in the semifinal.

“We’re here to win. At the end of the day, we’re here to go day by day, point by point and put our best foot forward. That’s all we ask for. We’ll see our results at the end,” Ashfield said.

“Everyone’s going to be a tough team to beat; there’s going to be no games off. Assuming Prov and CMU will be at the top. We’ve played exhibition against Red River and USB already; both can play and it’s going to be tough every night.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com