Schneider hopes to follow brother’s lead

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This article was published 24/03/2012 (5206 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon’s Hope Schneider continues to follow in the footsteps of her older brother Dustin.

Dustin was a setter who played with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen and Hope, who’s also a 5-foot-8 setter, is following his path by signing her letter of intent to play volleyball with the Wesmen this fall.

Hope, who helped the Crocus Plainsmen win a provincial AAAA girls silver medal last November, knows she has big footsteps to follow at the University of Winnipeg.

Dustin played on the men’s volleyball team from 2004 to 2009 and was named an all-Canadian. He led the Wesmen them to a Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship in 2007 and played professionally in France this winter. He is currently training with the national team in Gatineau, Que.

Hope, who is 18, knows there might be a bit of pressure on her at the U of W, but she’s fine with it.

“Those are big shoes to fill, but he’s always been an icon and I look up to him for sure,” she said. “There’s a little pressure. Of course it’s always going to sit in the back of my mind, but it’s not a main focus.”

Schneider was going back and forth all winter between choosing to commit to Winnipeg or the University of Regina Cougars. Her other brother Mark plays Canada West hockey for the Cougars.

In the end, she decided to join the Wesmen because head coach Diane Scott pursued her harder and she just felt comfortable there.

Schneider, who’s playing on the 18U Amrak club volleyball team this spring, is happy to have finally made a decision. She realizes that she won’t be able to walk onto the team and expect to start playing right away, but she’s ready to work her way into the lineup.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to play at the next level and I’m quite excited to have the opportunity,” she said. “I’d like to play, clearly, but I know where I stand. I know I have to work hard and I’m just really excited that I’ve been given this opportunity.”

Schneider’s Crocus high school teammate Zoe Pellerin and Neelin’s Kate Osadchuk are still trying figure out what school and athletic programs to join next year.

Pellerin is still looking at playing volleyball at the university level and she’s hoping to have her plans clarified a bit in the next few weeks. Osadchuk is looking at playing either volleyball or soccer at the Alberta collegiate level, but she’s still trying to pick the right school.

Meanwhile, Elton Sabres outside hitter Brooke Huculak feels she’s very close to committing to the Lakehead Thunderwolves women’s volleyball team in Thunder Bay, Ont. She feels she just needs to make a campus visit before making it official.

“It’s pretty much final right now, but I’m just planning on taking a trip down there in the near future and checking it out and officially signing there,” she said.

» cjaster@brandonsun.com