MVB: Defending CW champion Alberta tops preseason poll

The drama of Canada West men's volleyball returns this weekend, and there promises to be plenty of intrigue if the pre-season coaches poll is any indication.

The Alberta Golden Bears will once again enter as the favourite, taking top spot in the poll with five first place votes. The Bears took home their first CW title since 2015 last season, downing arch-rival Trinity Western 3-1 in a hotly contested final.

While the Golden Bears have seen a large portion of their championship roster graduate, their youth movement will be hungry to continue the winning tradition. The group will be led by star outside hitter Isaac Heslinga, who competed for Team Canada at the NORCECA Final 6 and at the Pan American Cup this summer.

"Leadership will be key for the Bears this year. We have a very focused group top to bottom," says Golden Bears head coach Brock Davidiuk. "A number of athletes had very strong summers in this area with their respective national teams. Isaac Heslinga was captain of Team Canada's Final 6 squad, Jacob Sargent was captain of Team Canada's Jr. National Team and Billy Johnstone was assistant captain of New Zealand's Sr. National Team. I'm excited to see how these individuals will step up to lead the team along with several other athletes who have been embodying our values."

While the Bears claimed the conference title, it was theTWU Spartans who surged on the national stage, winning their seventh U SPORTS national championship. The defending national champs placed third in the coaches poll and will be led by fourth-year outside hitter Henry Rempel. The Swift Current, Sask. product averaged 3.15 kills/set last year and is once again expected to be an impact player on both sides of the net.

While Alberta and TWU have dominated the CW men's volleyball scene in recent years, many eyes will also be on Mount Royal University this season. The Cougars ranked second in the coaches poll and also received five first place votes. The Cougars will be led by veteran outside hitter Chris Byam, who was named a First Team All-Canadian last season and is coming off a summer spent with the Next Gen Canadian National Team.

The UBC Thunderbirds took fourth place in the poll and had a first place vote, and will turn to sophomore Conaire Taub for another big season. Named to both the CW and U SPORTS All-Rookie Teams, Taub quickly established himself by leading the team with 127 kills.

The Winnipeg Wesmen rounded out the top five, led by key returnee Nigel Nielsen. The Wesmen have beefed up at attacking positions, but Nielsen is the returnee with the most kilometres under his belt and was seventh in the country in kills a season ago.

Calgary placed sixth but also received a first place vote. The Dinos will look to third-year middle Louis Kunstmann to lead one of the conference's stingiest defences. 

The action begins Friday with a full slate of six games, including a showdown between MRU and UBC.

For the complete schedule, click here.

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2023-24 CW MVB PRESEASON COACHES POLL

Team - Points (First-place votes)

1. Alberta Golden Bears - 133 (5)
2. Mount Royal Cougars - 129 (5)
3. Trinity Western Spartans - 126 (1)
4. UBC Thunderbirds - 114 (1)
5. Winnipeg Wesmen - 91
6. Calgary Dinos - 88 (1)
7. Brandon Bobcats - 74
8. Saskatchewan Huskies - 71
9. Manitoba Bisons - 66
10. Thompson Rivers WolfPack - 43
11. Fraser Valley Cascades - 36
12. UBCO Heat - 30
13. MacEwan Griffins - 13

Team by Team Preview 

1. Alberta Golden Bears 

Key Performer: Isaac Heslinga

With the graduation of a large portion of their roster who helped them capture the 2022 U SPORTS championship and 2023 Canada West titles, it will be a youth movement for the Bears in 23/24. Leading the new version of the Bears is star outside hitter, Isaac Heslinga.

Heslinga competed for Team Canada at the NORCECA Final 6, and at the Pan American Cup this summer, and is expected to be the focal point of the Bears attack this season.

From the coach: "Leadership will be key for the Bears this year.  We have a very focused group top to bottom.  A number of athletes had very strong summers in this area with their respective National Teams.  Isaac Heslinga was Captain of Team Canada's Final 6 squad, Jacob Sargent Captain of Team Canada's Jr. National Team and Billy Johnstone Assistant Captain of New Zealand's Sr. National Team.  I'm excited to see how these individuals will step up to lead the team along with several other athletes who have been embodying the GBV values," - Brock Davidiuk

2. Mount Royal Cougars 

Key Performer: Chris Byam

Byam is arguably the best player at his position in the country and will lead the Cougars once in 2023-24. He was named to a 2022-23 First Team All-Canadian and is coming off a summer spent with the Next Gen Canadian National Team, earning a silver medal at NORCECA Final 6. MRU will rely on Byam's power and athleticism to lead their offensive attack in the new Canada West season.

 3. Trinity Western Spartans 

Key Performer: Henry Rempel

"Henry was a pivotal player on last year’s team and he will have an increased role this year. The great part about Henry is that as he has gotten older he has been able to impact the game in every phase. He came in as an elite spiker and server, but he has developed into a really good blocker and defender and all the other skills as well. So Henry is something we are really excited about and we know he is going to have a huge role for us. We will rely on his skill, but his leadership as well," - Adam Schriemer

4. UBC Thunderbirds

Key Performer: Conaire Taub

Named to both the Canada West and U SPORTS All-Rookie Teams, Taub quickly established himself as a critical piece to both UBC's attack and defence.

Taub is the team's leading offensive returning player from last season having amassed 127 kills. Defensively, he finished the season with 90 digs, third highest on the team.

From the coach: “I think this may be one of the most unique Canada West seasons in recent memory. So many teams experienced significant roster turnover, us included, so it will be interesting to see which teams re-tooled well and which teams will be looking to their young players for impactful roles. I'm excited for the T-Birds roster we've been able to put together but know that this is going to be a gauntlet every weekend in the Canada West," - Michael Hawkins

5. Winnipeg Wesmen

Key Performer: Nigel Nielsen

The Wesmen have beefed up at attacking positions, but Nielsen is the returnee with the most kilometres under his belt. He was seventh in the country in kills a season ago and he potentially stands to see more one-on-one match-ups on the outside with the Wesmen bolstering their attacking depth.

6. Calgary Dinos

Key Performer: Louis Kunstmann

Louis Kunstmann has been a force from his first day on Calgary's campus. After helping the Dinos to Canada West Bronze and a trip to nationals as a rookie, he took his game to the next level last season. In all, the third year middle already has 400 kills on a .323 hitting percentage, while also racking up 170.0 total blocks to help Calgary establish itself as one of the best defensive teams at the net the past two seasons.

7. Brandon Bobcats

Key Performer: Philipp Lauter

After blasting on to the scene nearly two years ago, Philipp Lauter will be looking to replicate his first two seasons as a Bobcat. The 2021-22 Canada West and U SPORTS rookie of the year was just as lethal in his sophomore season, leading the conference in total blocks (108) and finishing second in blocks per set (1.15) while playing in every set of every match for the Bobcats.

From the coach: "The Bobcats will look to push to qualify for the post season for the 10th time in the last 11 years in the ultra-competitive Canada West conference. A team that may be void of superstars but is well rounded with a mix of players young and old and should be a solid competitor night in and night out," - Grant Wilson

8. Saskatchewan Huskies

Key Performer: Isaiah Mamer

Recently off a summer with Volleyball Canada's Under 21 and Under 23 teams, the sophomore will be looking to increase his role with the Huskies. He is a great all around outside hitter that can score points in many ways and we expect to see him take on a leadership role this season as we look to get back to the national championship. - Head Coach Sean McKay

9. Manitoba Bisons

Key Performer: Jonah Dueck

Middle Jonah Dueck is one of four Bisons who spent the summer travelling across the world as part of Canada's U21 roster, including a bronze medal finish at the Pan Am Cup in Cuba.

His experience has prepared him for a season where he looks to be one of the top players at his position. Last year, Dueck had 76 blocks and led Canada West with 1.14 blocks per set. Playing all summer against the top players at his age level in the world has improved his confidence and poise in big moments as he looks to take the next step as a leader within the men's program in 2023-24.

From the coach: “Our goal is to keep improving and having better results than last year, finishing with a winning record, wherever that takes us in the standing. We have a deep roster and want to maintain a high competition on each position. We are still a fairly young team, with most players being in their second and third year. Gaining more experience this year is a very important factor in our development,” - Arnd Ludwig

10. Thompson Rivers WolfPack

Key Performer: Sam Elgert

Back for his fifth and final season with the 'Pack, Sam Elgert is set to once again lead TRU. The setter from Athabasca, AB racked up 700 assists last season despite missing four games due to injury. The quarterback of a potent TRU offensive attack, Elgert is one of the rare setters that can also pose a hitting threat himself as evidenced by his bronze medal finish at the Canadian University Beach Volleyball Championships alongside teammate Sam Flowerday.

11. Fraser Valley Cascades

Key Performer: Nimo Benne

Nimo Benne will be looked at as a focal point of the UFV attack, as the Cascades embark on their third season in Canada West. After ranking third in Canada West last year with 4.8 points per set, and sixth in aces with 37, the fourth year player will look to continue his growth as UFV pushes for a playoff spot.

From the coach: “The UFV Cascades men's volleyball team are looking to take another step forward as we embark on our second full season in Canada West. The team graduated two athletes but were able to bring in some quality transfers and first year recruits. Easton Sarich, Kian Bos, Silas VanHuizan have been great additions to the team and will make an impact this season. Roan McCarthy will be red shirting for UFV this season, and has added leadership, poise and professionalism in the training environment. Nimo Benne and Jonas VanHuizen are going to be looked upon to take on a bigger role this season. The Cascades are looking to climb to new heights this season and make a statement in the Canada West," - Nathan Bennett  

12. UBCO Heat

Key Performer: Renn Petryk

Entering his 3rd season with the Heat, Petryk is the focal point of the Heat's offensive attack, a role he grew into last season setting career-highs in all major statistical categories. After spending the summer training with the Canadian U21 team, he'll be looking to bring that experience back to UBCO and provide leadership on a young team that is aiming to take the next step forward in 2023-24.

From the coach: "We're already a better team than at any point last season but we need to see continued growth and likely a few breakout performances to become consistently competitive. If we want to be a playoff team we need to learn to compete at a higher level night in and night out. Metrics don't lie. We've embraced the challenges in our training and look forward to putting that work to the test," – Brad Hudson

13. MacEwan Griffins

Key Performer: Alexander Lyndon

Bringing skill and passion to the court, Lyndon will be a key veteran leader MacEwan relies upon in the 2023-24 season. The Aussie setter led the team in assists (592) last season and matched a program single-season record for service aces (19). He will combine with top returning outside hitter Mitchel Gorman and a cast of emerging talents to lead the Griffins' attack in 2023-24.