The Bisons men’s volleyball team opened their season on Sept. 26 against the Waterloo Warriors, where they posted a dominating 3-0 victory to start the season with great teamwork and strategic play. The set scores in the match were 25-18, 25-22 and 25-17.
The next challenge came the following day against the Queen’s Gaels, whom they also dispatched in a 3-0 win, while producing effective offensive plays and being very resilient defensively to finish with set scores of 25-22, 25-19 and 25-15.
Later that day, the Bisons faced the Saskatchewan Huskies, and won 3-0 with set scores of 25-23, 28-26 and 25-22.
On Sept. 28, the Bisons faced the Brandon Bobcats and made their intentions clear, leading to a 3-1 win with the set scores of 25-17, 21-25, 25-22 and 25-20. And the winning streak continued. This run of wins proved that the Bisons can play well consistently.
However, the Bisons suffered their first loss in the fifth match against Winnipeg Wesmen on Sept. 29. The final score was 1-3, with set scores of 23-25, 16-25, 25-23 and 20-25. The Bisons were able to win one set, but it was not enough to turn the game around. The team was not as invincible as we thought. With the lads trying their best, we can say there is still a lot of room for improvement.
On Oct. 4, the Bisons faced the Providence Pilots and the Assiniboine Cougars winning both games. They were able to settle both games with set scores of 3-0.
Coach Arnd (Lupo) Ludwig enters his fifth season as the men’s volleyball head coach in 2024-25. During the game, Ludwig was actively walking across the court to engage with the players, offering words of encouragement. Additionally, the athletes’ therapy team was present, supporting the players even before the match began and throughout.
Ludwig reflected on the team’s pre-season performance, noting that they have played eight games so far, winning seven and losing one against the University of Winnipeg. When asked about the game strategy throughout the pre-season, he stated, “pre-season is to get everybody a chance to play. Everybody works hard to get ready to get in shape.”
He elaborated that the pre-season is about assessing which players can perform well and how the new guys are fitting in, adding, “there is no game with a really starting lineup. So, everybody we switched a lot around here.”
Ludwig mentioned some standout players, “I think today Travis Schroeder did a pretty good game. He was our setter. He couldn’t play much last week because of an injury.” He also highlighted Owen Weekes, saying, “I think Owen Weekes had a really good game today, too. That’s the two for today.”
When discussing adjustments made after the loss, he explained, “we lost against the University of Winnipeg last Sunday, but yesterday we lost a set to Dalhousie. This is usually in a pre-season unless someone is struggling really hard or gets injured, I let the players who are on the court play, and they have to find a way to push through the game.”
Regarding injuries, Ludwig confirmed, “no, we have no injuries right now. Everybody is healthy.” Ludwig was asked if he had an analysis of the opposition for the next match. The coach replied, “no, I don’t do that for pre-season.”
Concerning the next steps, he shared, “we play tomorrow against Jamestown. Then we have two more games on Sunday, and then we get ready for our first opener.” He added, “there’s still a few small things that we have to work on next week during practice, but in general, I think everything looks in the right direction.”
Ludwig was asked if he had figured out any specific reason why they lost the game last Sunday. “Well, [the University of Winnipeg] is a very good team, and they played with their starting lineup, and we played everybody. We did a lot of subs in that game and everybody got a chance to play, and we didn’t really find a rhythm.”
On Oct. 5, the Bisons played against the Jamestown Jimmies, and won the game with set score of 3-0. Overall, the Bisons have tallied an impressive record of many wins and just one loss. Their ability to capitalize on opportunities and maintain composure in tight situations, especially against formidable opponents like Saskatchewan, bodes well for their prospects as they transition into the regular season.
Although the gyms have been mostly empty, one can expect more seats to fill up as the Bisons charge forward. Hopefully, if the Bisons keep up this level of performance for the rest of the pre-season, it will be a sign of a very promising upcoming season that is not just good, but also one that fosters growth and success. One can certainly hope to see the Bisons lift some trophies in the near future.
Overall, this pre-season paints a picture of a dedicated team under a supportive coach, poised for growth and success in the upcoming season.
Bisons fans can catch the team in action at home at the Investors Group Athletic Centre. The Bisons men’s volleyball schedule can be seen at gobisons.ca.
