Langley's Trinity Western Spartans react to national title point on Sunday in Quebec City as No. 2 TWU won its sixth U Sports national title with a victory over No. 1 Brandon. (Photo by Scott Stewart property of Trinity Western athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Trinity Western's Aaron Boettcher has put shoulder surgery and a missed 2017-88 season behind him, helping lead the Spartans back to the national championships which open a three-day run Friday in Quebec City. (Photo by Scott Stewart property of Trinity Western athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Volleyball

A better Boettcher? You bet! Trinity Western’s Aaron Boettcher older, wise, happier in his last trip to U Sports nationals

LANGLEY — Aaron Boettcher’s greatest skill had always been his ability to rise above the crowd and block out any obstacles that came his way.

Trinity Western Spartans' third-year standout Eric Loeppky (right) exults on court with teammate Jacob Kern. (Photo by Scott Stewart property of Trinity Western athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Volleyball

Trinity Western’s Eric Loeppky: Spartans’ volleyball superstar defined by “…the contrast between his ability and his humility”

LANGLEY — He has authored a resume whose international accomplishments, when placed against the world of Canadian university men’s volleyball, are groundbreaking.

Van Tech's Lachlan McBride, bound next season for an OUA career with the Queen's Golden Gaels, finished as the runner-up in Varsity Letters' 2018 Super 15 B.C. boys high school volleyball Grade 12 Players of the Year. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Volleyball University Men's Volleyball

10th Anniversary Edition! Varsity Letters presents our 2018 B.C. senior boys high school volleyball Super 15

LANGLEY — Hard to believe that so much time has gone by since we announced our first B.C. senior boys Grade 12 high school volleyball Player of the Year back in December of 2009.In case you don’t remember, he stood 6-foot-4 and was a dynamic outside hitter from Surrey’s Fleetwood Park Secondary.Nick Del Bianco turned […]

Abbotsford Christian's Cole Brandsma, the 2018 B.C. AA championship's Most Outstanding Player, has been selected Varsity Letters' B.C. High School boys Player of the Year by our panel of U Sports head coaches. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of UBC Athletics 2018. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Volleyball University Men's Volleyball

Cole Brandsma: High-flying & cerebral, Abby Christian’s UBC-bound star is Varsity Letters’ 2018 BC high school volleyball Player of the Year

LANGLEY — Cole Brandsma can’t quantify how close he and his Abbotsford Christian teammates came to falling short of their dream goal, unless of course, you can put a measure on the skin of his teeth.

After 35 years, the drought is over. The UBC Thunderbirds celebrate a 3-0 win over Trinity Western in Sunday's U Sports national final in Hamtilon. (Photo by Rick Zazulak property of McMaster athletics)
Feature University Men's Volleyball

UBC men’s volleyball: How long is 35 years? Truly a lifetime for Thunderbirds , who top TWU 3-0 for landmark national title

When Kerry MacDonald was being interviewed for the head coaching position with the UBC Thunderbirds men’s volleyball team back in the spring of 2016, the soon-to-be successful applicant admitted he had done a little bit of research.

UBC Thunderbirds' middle Joel Rehehr (right) and setter Byron Keturakis flash the emotion of a national semifinal match which givers the 'Birds a shot at their first U Sports crown in 35 years on Sunday. (Photo by Rick Vazulak, McMaster athletics)
Feature University Men's Volleyball

‘Birds first title since ’83, or Spartans’ threepeat? It’s UBC vs. Trinity Western for U Sports national men’s volleyball spoils!

Hey volleyball fans, get out your history books because Sunday’s U Sports men’s volleyball national championship final is going to be all about the excellence of the sport in B.C. …no matter what ends up happening.

The Trinity Western Spartans (left to right) Jackson Howe, Eric Loeppky, Carter Bergen, Jesse Elser and Adam Schriemer celebrate a point en route to a 22-2 Canada West record. (Photo by Scott Stewart property of Trinity Western athletics)
Feature University Men's Volleyball

TWU men’s volleyball: Recalibration aligns their stars, Spartans don’t miss a beat in pursuit of U Sports national title threepeat

What speaks loudest about the dynastic way in which Langley’s Trinity Western Spartans have once again reached the summit of Canadian men’s university volleyball this week at the U Sports national tournament?

Not known as a traditional boys volleyball power, the Argyle Pipers made a big splash this season behind the play of Varsity Letters' Super 15 select Markus Bratsberg (left). (Varsity Letters photo by Howard Tsumura)
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The Varsity Letters’ Super 15! It’s our annual list of B.C.’s top senior boys volleyball players!

LANGLEY — The coaches of B.C.’s four U Sports men’s volleyball programs have answered our call and cast their votes to determine B.C.’s top Grade 12 senior varsity boys volleyball player.

UBC's Ben Chow, 25, has reinvented himself both on the court and in the classroom with the Thunderbirds' volleyball team. (Richard Lam/UBC athletics)
Feature University Men's Volleyball

UBC’s Ben Chow: How degrees of difficulty helped the ‘Birds star return for a special finale

VANCOUVER — The best journeys are never scripted and always organic. They test mettle, and in the best instances, wind up revealing a level of poetic gleam only possible through the hard steps of revival and re-invention.