BVC looks to defend title at home
The Brandon Volleyball Club changed the landscape of 18-and-under boys’ volleyball last year.
They shocked the top Winnipeg clubs to win a 17U provincial title, leading to the biggest stars of 204 Gold moving to their rival Winman Clutch with hopes of a provincial — and possibly national — title.
They’ll meet in pool play at provincials on Saturday, then barring upsets, sit on opposite sides of the draw and wait for a clash in Sunday’s final at the Healthy Living Centre.
Ethan Baraniuk and the Brandon Volleyball Club 18U boys host provincials running today through Sunday at the Healthy Living Centre. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“I’m absolutely pumped,” said BVC’s Ethan Baraniuk, a Brandon University Bobcats commit.
“Home crowd, it can’t be any better than that. I can’t wait to play the teams here, it’s going to be great competition and I can’t wait for it.”
It’s as stacked a BVC team as there’s ever been and an even stronger Winman squad, featuring eight of the top 10 players in Manitoba according to the Winnipeg Free Press coaches’ poll.
Baraniuk was ranked sixth while BVC right side Kal-El Wilson, who’s headed to the University of Winnipeg in the fall, was No. 9.
Winman is largely comprised of the ultra-tough River East team that went undefeated en route to a AAAA provincial title with top-ranked Matthew Brown running the offence before he joins the University of Calgary Dinos.
They have high-flying Kai Toney from Daniel McIntyre on the left side and some beasts from Glenlawn Collegiate and Dakota Collegiate rounding out a potent lineup.
It’s easy for Baraniuk to find motivation when they’re on the other side of the net.
“It definitely pumps me right up,” Baraniuk said. “You only have two people from Brandon compared to eight Winnipeg boys, obviously I want to kick their ass and show them what it’s like. But I mean, anything can happen so we’ve got to be ready for anything.”
BVC’s roster just has a few tweaks, with the same starting corps from last season. Neelin’s Wilson, Junior Martine, Ethan Olson and Kingston Thomas are back along with Baraniuk and Zach Redekop from Vincent Massey and Hamiota’s Jaxen Dziver.
BVC libero Kingston Thomas chases a ball down during practice on Wednesday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
They have a strong second string with plenty of capable substitutes for head coach Rylan Metcalf.
“It’s awesome. They’re all super hard workers. They’ve gotten better from when I started with them last year to now,” Metcalf said.
“We’ve added some additions and to see them grow even from the beginning of the season to now has been really special. The job’s not finished yet.”
BVC opens the tournament against No. 7-ranked 204 Cardinal today at 5:30 p.m. It stays on the court to face No. 5 Phoenix at 6:45.
On Saturday, it plays Offspeed at 9 a.m., then Winman at 12:45 p.m., likely to decide the top seed and a significantly easier quarterfinal than the second place team draws, considering the other pool features the No. 2 seed Junior Bison, a strong Aztec club from Winkler and 204 Gold with a pair of weaker teams at the bottom.
But like anyone who has played for BU head coach Grant Wilson, Metcalf isn’t looking too far ahead.
“Our whole team has a really good mindset of just getting better every single point and I think that will hopefully benefit us in the end,” Metcalf said.
“Our goal is to get better every single game of the tournament and put our hard hat on, work boots on and go to work.”
Whatever happens this weekend, they’ll have one more weekend together — a significant one.
BVC heads to nationals in Edmonton on May 23-25.
“We’ve played these teams before, we’ve got to be ready for (nationals) coming up so any reps we can get are amazing at this point,” Baraniuk said.
“We definitely have a shot at getting top three. Out of all the teams there, we definitely have a great opportunity.”
QUICK HITS: The 13U boys’ event is also in Brandon, taking place at Henry Champ Gymnasium on Saturday and Sunday. BVC is ranked seventh out of eight … The 18U girls are headed to Steinbach this weekend, with the No. 2 ranked Club West Rage out of Virden and fifth-seed Westman Wave in contention … In Niverville and Winnipeg, the 16U girls have 40 teams in the field, including sixth-ranked Westman Wave and No. 8 BVC … The 16U boys are also in Niverville, with BVC Gold seeded fifth and Westman ranked ninth.
» Instagram: @thomasfriesen5
