It was Volleyball All-Stars Day in the Canada West Conference! And, three members of the U of S Huskies men’s team were recognized!!
One member of the Dogs was named to each of the Canada West First and Second All-Star teams with a third finding his way onto the All-Rookie team. Saskatchewan outside hitter Dylan Mortenson was named to the first all-star team after a season in which he broke career conference records for points and kills. Another fifth year outside hitter from the U of S, Levi Olson, was named to the second all-star team while libero player Ethan Smith of the Dogs is on the all-rookie squad. Mortenson, Olson and Smith – along with the rest of the Saskatchewan men’s volleyball team – will be in Edmonton this week for a best-of-three Canada West Conference semi-final series against the Alberta Golden Bears. Following is the news release from the Canada West Conference…..
MVB: Talent, grit recognized in CW all-star voting
Canada West unveils men’s volleyball all-star and all-rookie teams for 2022-23 season
28 February 2023
The top team in Canada West and the country, the Alberta Golden Bears, see powerhouse hitter, Jordan Canham named to the first team. He’s joined by his teammate, defensive guru Landon Currie. The duo of Brodie Hofer and Jesse Elser headline the selections for Trinity Western. The athletes boast the two highest hitting percentages in the country.
Saskatchewan’s Dylan Mortensen has also earned a spot after a phenomenal season that saw him break career conference records for points and kills.
Rounding out the conference’s elite are Mount Royal’s Chris Byam and UBC’s Matt Neaves, whose fantastic seasons propelled their teams to second and fifth-place regular season finishes respectively.
All-star selections are a family affair for the Elsers, with Jesse’s brother Mathias making the second team. Fellow third-year, Nimo Benne (Fraser Valley) returns to the all-star line-up after getting an all-rookie designation two seasons ago. This is Jacob van Geel’s first time earning the honour after he helped his Mount Royal Cougars outperform the storied Trinity Western Spartans in the regular season.
Winnipeg libero Darian Picklyk has also made the second team after leading the conference in digs per set (2.22). He’s joined by Lincoln Baines (Calgary) and Philipp Lauter (Brandon) who both averaged better than a block per set in strong seasons of their own. Rounding out the team is Levi Olson of Saskatchewan, making his first all-star appearance after helping the Huskies to a 17-7 record entering the postseason.
Manitoba’s Jordon Heppner headlines the all-rookie squad. His power from the middle pushed his Bisons to a playoff berth. He’s joined by UBC’s Conaire Taub and Trinity Western’s Anselm Rein, both of whom made huge impacts for their top-five teams right away. UBCO’s Seba Manuel is the team’s sole selection. The rookie averaged nearly two kills per set while leading his team in service aces. Another outstanding hitter, Jacob Sargent (Alberta) earns a nod, as well as Calgary setter Zach Durrant, an all-around talent and centrepiece for the Dinos moving forward. Rounding out the selections is Ethan Smith, Saskatchewan’s libero who put up 135 digs on the year.
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN
1st Team All Stars
OH / Jordan Canham / Alberta / 4 / Education / Avonmore, ON
OH / Dylan Mortensen / Saskatchewan / 5 / Business / Swift Current, SK
OH / Chris Byam / Mount Royal / 3 / Health & Phys. Ed. / Bow Island, AB
OH / Brodie Hofer / Trinity Western / 4 / Business / Langley, BC
OH / Matthew Neaves / British Columbia / 4 / Business / Calgary, AB
OH / Jesse Elser / Trinity Western / 4 / Education / Calgary, AB
L / Landon Currie / Alberta / 5 / Business / Vernon, BC
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN
2nd Team All Stars
M / Philipp Lauter / Brandon / 2 / Music / Wiesbaden, Germany
OH / Jacob van Geel / Mount Royal / 3 / Business / Calgary, AB
L / Darian Picklyk / Winnipeg / 5 / Business and Administration / Springfield, MB
M / Lincoln Baines / Calgary / 4 / Business / Calgary, AB
OH / Levi Olson / Saskatchewan / 5 / Engineering / Saskatoon, SK
OH / Nimo Benne / Fraser Valley / 3 / Computing Science / Castricum, The Netherlands
OH/S / Mathias Elser / Trinity Western / 3 / Business / Calgary, AB
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN
All Rookie Team
M / Jordon Heppner / Manitoba / 1 / University One / Winnipeg, MB
OH / Conaire Taub / British Columbia / 1 / Kinesiology / Calgary, AB
OH / Seba Manuel / UBC Okanagan / 1 / Health & Exercise Sciences / Kelowna, BC
S / Anselm Rein / Trinity Western / 1 / Biology / Calgary, AB
S / Zack Durrant / Calgary / 1 / Kinesiology / Calgary, AB
OH / Jacob Sargent / Alberta / 1 / Kinesiology, Sport & Rec. / Lethbridge, AB
L / Ethan Smith / Saskatchewan / 1 / Kinesiology / Prince Albert, SK
MEN’S ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIES BY TEAM
School / First Team / Second Team / All-Rookies = TOTAL
- Trinity Western Spartans: 2 / 1 / 1 = 4
- Alberta Golden Bears: 2 / 0 / 1 = 3
- Saskatchewan Huskies: 1 / 1 / 1 = 3
- Mount Royal Cougars: 1 / 1 / 0 = 2
- UBC Thunderbirds: 1 / 0 / 1 = 2
- Calgary Dinos: 0 / 1 / 1 = 2
- Brandon Bobcats: 0 / 1 / 0 = 1
- Winnipeg Wesmen: 0 / 1 / 0 = 1
- Fraser Valley Cascades: 0 / 1 / 0 = 1
- Manitoba Bisons: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
- UBCO Heat: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
WVB: Conference’s best honoured on all-star teams
Canada West unveils women’s volleyball all-star and all-rookie teams for 2022-23 season
28 February 2023
CALGARY — The conference’s top two teams are seeing their powerhouse rosters formally recognized. The Trinity Western Spartans and Mount Royal Cougars combine for eight selections on the Canada West all-star teams, the conference announced Tuesday.
Three of the seven first-team all-stars are Mount Royal Cougars, a team that won eleven straight to end the regular season. Each earning their third all-star nod, setter Quinn Pelland and middle Nyadholi Thokbuom have been instrumental in the Cougars’ success. Pelland’s talents have been highly lauded, while Thokbuom’s skill in the middle is unmatched. Their teammate, Haley Roe, also earns a first-team nod after ranking top ten in the conference in three separate categories: kills per set, points per set and aces per set.
Trinity Western’s first-team selection is Savannah Purdy, an outside hitter whose steady presence and lethal swing has been a cornerstone in the Spartans’ three-year reign as CW champs. Another strong-swinging hitter, Gabrielle Attieh has made the team as the only player in the conference to average more than five points per set. Attieh’s two-way game has shown her to be invaluable this season. As is the case with fellow all-star Emma Parker of Winnipeg, who ranked second in kills per set and sixth in digs per set, alongside mostly liberos.
Rounding out the top team is Sydney Grills of UBCO. The quick-moving opposite hitter had defences on their toes as she worked her way to sixth on the conference’s points leaderboard.
A trio of Spartans headline the second team. Ansah Odoom, Kaylee Plouffe and Dora Komlodi each played a central role in the Spartans’ dominant 22-2 record. A skillful hitter, Odoom showed up big in key moments while maintaining elite consistency throughout the season. Plouffe stepped into a major role with Spartans in just her second year, looking at home in the middle of the country’s top seeded team. Meanwhile, Komlodi engineered it all, quarterbacking her offence with ease.
UBC’ Elise Petit and Cara Kovacs also earned second-team spots, two fearsome outside hitters who led their Thunderbirds to an 18-6 record this year, good for third in the conference and home advantage for the CW quarterfinals.
The conference’s second-highest point-getter, Lauren Tremblay of Alberta earns a second-team designation. Rounding out the roster is first-year Raya Surinx of Manitoba, who was heavily relied upon in the Bisons’ journey to sixth place. In just her first year, Surinx ranked in the top four of Canada West in aces-per-set, kills-per-set and points-per-set.
Naturally, Surinx has also made the all-rookie team. Joining her there is Daisy Olsen of Calgary, whose precision and powerful swing have made a big impact already. Alberta’s Laila Johnstone is an all-rookie after averaging more than three kills per set for her Pandas. Natalie Lemoine-Sells put up 2.10 kills per set for the already hitting-heavy UFV Cascades, while Maryn Boldon of Trinity Western is helping carry the team’s legacy of excellence on a team full of graduating seniors.
Rounding out the all-rookie team are UBC’s Issy Robertshaw and UBCO’s Madison Gardner, both of whom are igniting sparks for their respective squads.
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN
1st Team All Stars
OH / Gabrielle Attieh / Fraser Valley / 4 / Arts / Surrey, BC
S / Quinn Pelland / Mount Royal / 5 / Business / Wanham, AB
OH / Savannah Purdy / Trinity Western / 4 / Psychology / Victoria, BC
OH / Emma Parker / Winnipeg / 5 / Science / St. Adolphe, MB
RS / Sydney Grills / UBC Okanagan / 3 / Arts / Vancouver, BC
M / Nyadholi Thokbuom / Mount Royal / 4 / Sociology / Calgary, AB
OH / Haley Roe / Mount Royal / 5 / Criminal Justice / Airdrie, AB
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN
2nd Team All Stars
OH / Ansah Odoom / Trinity Western / 4 / General Studies / Surrey, BC
OH / Lauren Tremblay / Alberta / 4 / Kinesiology, Sport & Rec. / St. Albert, AB
M / Kaylee Plouffe / Trinity Western / 2 / Human Kinetics / Sherwood Park, AB
OH / Raya Surinx / Manitoba / 1 / Science / Winnipeg, MB
OH / Elise Petit / British Columbia / 5 / International Forestry / Redmond, WA
OH / Cara Kovacs / British Columbia / 4 / Science / Vancouver, BC
S / Dora Komlodi / Trinity Western / 5 / Education / Calgary, AB
All Rookie Team
OH / Raya Surinx / Manitoba / 1 / Science / Winnipeg, MB
OH / Daisy Olsen / Calgary / 1 / Kinesiology / Airdrie, AB
OH / Laila Johnston / Alberta / 1 / Education / Edmonton, AB
OH / Natalie Lemoine-Sells / Fraser Valley / 1 / Criminal Justice / Winnipeg, MB
OH / Maryn Boldon / Trinity Western / 1 / Human Kinetics / Okotoks, AB
S / Issy Robertshaw / British Columbia / 1 / Applied Science / Calgary, AB
M / Madison Gardner / UBC Okanagan / 1 / Human Kinetics / Vernon, BC
WOMEN’S ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIES BY TEAM
School / First Team / Second Team / All-Rookies = TOTAL
- Trinity Western Spartans: 1 / 3 / 1 = 5
- Mount Royal Cougars: 3 / 0 / 0 = 3
- UBC Thunderbirds: 0 / 2 / 1 = 3
- Fraser Valley Cascades: 1 / 0 / 1 = 2
- UBCO Heat: 1 / 0 / 1 = 2
- Alberta Pandas: 0 / 1 / 1 = 2
- Manitoba Bisons: 0 / 1 / 1 = 2
- Winnipeg Wesmen: 1 / 0 / 0 = 1
- Calgary Dinos: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
