Neelin rolls through BU boys’ volleyball tourney
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The Neelin Spartans dominated AAA volleyball last year. Now they’re taking down just about anyone who crosses their path in Manitoba.
A star-studded Spartans squad cruised to the Brandon University varsity boys’ volleyball tournament title on Saturday, outscoring four opponents 202-122 in eight sets.
“We knew there were going to be challenging teams in this tournament but our week of practice really led up to where we were today in the final,” said left side Kal-El Wilson, who was named tournament MVP. “Our team has been working very hard this week with transition and getting a swing on every ball so it was good.”
They’re a week removed from a second-place finish at the University of Winnipeg tournament, where most of the best teams play to see where they stack up. Neelin beat Springfield, Mennonite Brethren, St. Paul’s and last year’s AA champion Gabrielle-Roy before falling to Glenlawn in the final.
“It was exactly how we were trying to do it. Great teams in both tournaments so it was good to start the way we did,” said Grade 12 right side Owen Falk.
“It gives us a lot of confidence, knowing how good we are already. We just have to keep working hard and not let it get away from us.”
The group has been together for a few years now. A handful of them helped Brandon Volleyball Club win the 17-and-under provincial title in May, including Wilson, Falk, setter Junior Martine, middle blocker Ethan Olson and libero Kingston Thomas. Eric Muller and sophomore Lucas Ganache round out a starting lineup that’s tough to poke holes in.
“Lucas has stepped up a lot to have that option in the front row,” Wilson said. “Owen is on the right side; he’s been such an option. Our middles have just been eating it up and Kingston as lib, not much hits the floor.”
They’ve been that way for years.
Seniors Martine, Eric Muller and Wilson have capped all three high school seasons with AAA championship victories. Most of the current squad was there when they dropped just one set en route to the junior varsity crown in 2022.
Last year, no one even came close during their dream-crushing run to gold in Dauphin.
They’ve been there, done that.
Do they just want another T-shirt?
They have until mid-October to decide whether to attempt another year of AAA provincial perfection or follow the Spartan girls of 2010-14, who jumped to AAAA and left with two golds and two silvers on a remarkable four-year run under coach Kevin Neufeld.
The Spartans split with the Garden Valley Zodiacs (AAA) during pool play on Friday but manhandled the Dauphin Clippers 2-0 (25-13, 25-18) in the final after the Clippers bounced the Zodiacs a round earlier.
It’s unlikely more than one team can hang with Neelin in the AAA ranks. There may not be five AAAA teams who can either.
“It’s always been a thought in our heads. It was one tournament,” Wilson said. “If we could do it again, maybe, it would be nice to go up there but AAA is where we’re at right now.”
The tournament all-star team included Thomas, Dauphin’s Gabe Beaudin, Garden Valley’s Jackson Friesen and Alfredo Enns, MacGregor’s Kai Gaudet and Damien Court of Carlton (Sask).
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com
» Instagram: @thomasfriesen5
