1 day Ago By Thomas Friesen
The Brandon University Bobcats conquered the national stage this year, and they’re not done there. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support.
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The Brandon University Bobcats conquered the national stage this year, and they’re not done there. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? The Brandon University Bobcats conquered the national stage this year, and they’re not done there. The team will feature internationally this summer — how much remains to be seen.
What’s certain is head coach Grant Wilson is back on Volleyball Canada’s NextGen men’s staff as one of Dave Preston’s assistant coaches for the summer. Wilson worked with the NextGen team in 2022 and was on Preston’s bench for the World University Games in 2019. Brandon University Bobcats men’s volleyball coach Grant Wilson, shown celebrating championship point at nationals on March 23, is back on Volleyball Canada’s NextGen coaching staff for the summer.
(Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun) “Dave reached out and asked if I’d be interested. Right away I’m like, ‘Definitely,’” Wilson said. “I have a lot of respect for Dave, how he coaches and runs a program.
To get the chance to work with him again, I definitely didn’t want to pass on that opportunity.” Part of their job is selecting the team from a pool including Bobcat setter JJ Love and left side Liam Pauls. The selection camp runs May 2-8 in Gatineau, Que.
, and both are hard at work at the Healthy Living Centre to prepare. It didn’t take long to shift their focus from the U Sports championship to their national team dreams. “I worked out Monday or Tuesday,” Pauls said of the days following nationals, “because I had some big strides I wanted to make.
As sweet as that victory was, there’s still work to be done. “Being with those guys, getting that coaching, it’s such a great opportunity. Whatever happens, I’m doing whatever I can now to be prepared because it’s going to be some of the best competition I’ve ever seen.
” Love has watched the former Stonewall Ram and Junior Bisons attacker grow from the start. They’ve featured in BU’s starting rotation together since Pauls arrived in 2022 and the setter said he’s far from the same player now, having earned a U Sports championship all-star award. “I think when he came in his rookie year, he had a great shoulder, a lot of power but was just doing that every swing,” Love said.
“Knowing when to do that, when to go off-speed, he’s just been building that. The consistency of his game has been the biggest step.” Love was selected for the under-18 national team while in high school in Dauphin, but his experience was limited to Zoom calls during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
He’s since been passed over for Manitoba’s Canada Games roster and the U21 team but kept working to become one of the best setters in the country and possibly the best blocking setter. Love played three of his most complete matches at nationals, earning player of the match in the final. “He knows how to be motivated and he knows how to take things with a grain of salt.
Even though he didn’t get the opportunities he wanted to growing up, he’s still playing volleyball,” Pauls said. “Whatever happened in the past, it’s not about being over-fixated on that. It’s just still playing the game.
You don’t have to hate playing volleyball because you didn’t make a team, it’s (about) going to work no matter what happens.” Love is just grateful for another shot. “It’s a very awesome opportunity I’m very blessed to get this.
I’m just really appreciative of my team to help me look good and noticed (by) some people to get a tryout there,” Love said. “I just got to be the best version of myself that I can be, keep working on every skill, serving, passing, defending, everything. I can always be a better volleyball player.
” While Wilson has done it already and could take it easy for a few months before returning to defend the national title, he wants to get back to the high-performance environment in a hurry. Liam Pauls (13) and JJ Love have been identified for the Volleyball Canada NextGen selection camp, running May 2-8 in Gatineau, Que. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun) “I’ve learned over time that I don’t really like a lot of time off.
I like to keep grinding,” Wilson said. “So for me, it’s a chance for me personally to get better ..
. it’s a great professional development opportunity. Any time you get a chance to wear the Maple Leaf and represent your country’s a pretty cool thing.
“It also sends the message out there to recruits that our program’s involved in national team stuff. It’s not just about the university experience, we’re trying to give our athletes the best chance to go beyond university, whether it’s national teams or professional teams.” Wilson’s also sharing a bench with former national team setter Scott Koskie, who took over and did well with the UBC Okanagan Heat this year, making the playoffs in his first season at the helm.
Koskie will effectively be the team’s offensive co-ordinator while Wilson will handle the defence with Preston overseeing the entire operation. There are a couple of other assistants, but only Preston, Wilson and Koskie will travel to the Pan Am Cup in Mexico at the end of August. “It’s a great group of coaches and people, super excited to go work with them and learn from them and work with a great group of athletes,” Wilson said.
“I feel like our NextGen team’s going to be blessed with some pretty good talent and should be a lot of fun.” Bobcats backup setter Kale Fisher spent last summer with the U21 squad and was named the best setter of the NORCECA continental championship as Canada finished second. He relished the chance to play for former senior national team libero Dan Lewis, who has since been promoted to head coach of the senior squad.
“It was just a great time to play really high-level volleyball,” Fisher said. “It was a good group of guys and very good developmentally.” While he’s another year older and wiser, spots aren’t guaranteed so the Edmonton native is eager to continue earning Volleyball Canada colours come tryouts on June 11.
“It’s just trying to hit the weights as much as possible,” he said. “Really trying to strengthen up for tryouts and when they do come around I can really go full out the whole time.” » tfriesen@brandonsun.
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