Nimo Benne has had a first year in Canada to remember. For the third time in four weeks, Benne has been the recipient of a major university volleyball honor.
The latest is being named to the 2019-20 USPORTS men's volleyball 'all rookie' team.
The 6'6" outside hitter from Castricum, Netherlands was chosen to the team which was announced tonight at the Nationals awards banquet in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Benne, a computing science student was the WolfPack's main offensive threat for most of the season. He was fourth overall in Canada West in kills (265), ninth in kills per set (3.23), ninth in overall digs (131), 12
th in digs per set (1.60) and in hitting per centage (.254).
He also was second this Canada West season in kills in a match when he notched 30 against the University of Winnipeg Wesmen on January 4, 2020. He accumulated 31.5 scoring points in that match which was the fourth most in a match and was the third most points in a five set match
The last member of the WolfPack to be named to the National All-Rookie team was Brad Gunter in 2012. Other Thompson Rivers alumna named to national all-rookie teams were Robin Schoebel (2007), Gord Perrin (2008), Josh Boruck (2019) and Kevin Tillie (2010). All four of those athletes were named to the CIS All-Rookie Team. CIS has now become USPORTS.
Here is the rest of the 2019-20 USPORTS all-rookie team and the rest of the all-stars and major award winners announced in Winnipeg:
ALL-CANADIAN & ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS
| All-Rookie Team |
| OH |
Erik |
Siksna |
Queen's |
1 |
Markham, Ont. |
Business |
| OH |
Nimo |
Benne |
Thompson Rivers |
1 |
Castricum, Netherlands |
Computer Science |
| OH |
Alexis |
Tournier |
Montreal |
1 |
Gatineau, Que. |
Electrical Engineering |
| OH |
Chris |
Byam |
Mount Royal |
1 |
Bow Island, Alta. |
Health and Physical Educatiion |
| OH |
Jackson |
Young |
Nipissing |
1 |
Etobicoke, Ont. |
Physical & Health Education |
| MB |
Billy |
Johnstone |
Alberta |
1 |
Gisborne,
New Zealand |
Kinesiology, Sport
& Rec |
| OH |
Nicolas |
Fortin |
Laval |
1 |
La Malbaie, Québec |
Microbiology |
| First Team All-Canadians |
| Pos. |
First Name |
Last Name |
School |
Elig. |
Hometown |
Program |
| OH |
Eric |
Loeppky |
Trinity Western |
4 |
Steinbach, Man |
Arts |
| OH |
Zac |
Hutcheson |
Queen's |
5 |
Kingston, Ont. |
Engineering |
| OH |
Elliott |
Viles |
Brandon |
4 |
Adelaide, Australia |
Business Admin. |
| S |
Gabriel |
Chancy |
Montreal |
5 |
Montreal, Que. |
Business Admin. |
| S |
Derek |
Epp |
Trinity Western |
3 |
Saskatoon, Sask. |
Kinesiology |
| OH |
Pierce |
Johnson |
Windsor |
4 |
Chatham, Ont. |
Liberal Arts |
| OH |
Xander |
Ketrzynski |
Ryerson |
2 |
Toronto, Ont. |
Arts & Contemporary Studies |
| Second Team All-Canadians |
| OH |
Jackson |
Kennedy |
Alberta |
3 |
Edmonton, Alta. |
Kinesiology, Sport & Rec |
| OH |
Connor |
McConnell |
UNB |
4 |
Hanwell, N.B. |
Business Admin. |
| OH |
Nathan |
Delguidice |
McMaster |
5 |
Cochrane, Ont. |
Philosophy |
| OH |
Matt |
Neaves |
UBC |
2 |
Calgary, Alta. |
Business |
| RS |
Daniel |
Thiessen |
Winnipeg |
4 |
Winnipeg, Man. |
Economics & Finance |
| OH |
Chris |
Towe |
Toronto |
5 |
Caledon, Ont. |
Mechanical Eng. |
| MB |
Raphaël |
Viens |
Sherbrooke |
3 |
Gatineau, Que. |
Finance |
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Eric Loeppky, Trinity Western
For the third time in the last four years, the Canada West Men's Volleyball Player of the Year is a Trinity Western Spartan.
Fourth-year outside hitter Eric Loeppky takes home the honour after another outstanding season for the Spartans, leading the nation with a sparkling .443 hitting percentage, while finishing second in CW and fourth in U SPORTS in kills per set at 3.89. His 0.47 service aces per set were also top 10 in the country (8th).
Loeppky was a key part of TWU's 20-2 regular season, which earned the Spartans the best record in Canada West.
This year, Loeppky became the Canada West all-time leader in career aces, finishing with 153. His 0.563 career aces per set also has him atop Canada West. His 4.570 career points per set, which included 1,002 career kills, sees him slot in sixth overall on the conference's all-time leaderboard.
"
Nominees
CW: Eric Loeppky, Trinity Western
(Winner)
OUA: Zac Hutcheson, Queen's
RSEQ: Gabriel Chancy, Montreal
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Erik Siksna, Queen's
Siksna, the towering 6-foot-5 outside hitter from St. Augustine HS and a native of Markham, Ont., enjoyed an incredible first year with the reigning OUA champions Gaels. Siksna had little trouble adjusting to the pace and high level of OUA volleyball and the numbers proved that.
The School of Business student ranked ninth in the conference in points (201.5) and 10th in kills (164), but was able to produce those stats while maintaining an efficient .294 hitting percentage (fourth in the OUA). Siksna also brings an elite service game to the table and he wound up ranking fourth in the league with 24 aces and fifth in aces per set at 0.41.
Siksna is the first member of the Gaels to win the award.
Nominees
CW:
Nimo Benne, Thompson Rivers
OUA: Erik Siksna, Queen's
(Winner)
RSEQ: Alexis Tournier, Montreal
DALE IWANOCZKO AWARD (Student-Athlete Community Service): Seth Friesen, Brandon
Named a U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian in January for the 2018-19 season, Friesen has had an exceptional university career. Brandon's Male Athlete of the Year in 2018-19, Friesen has maintained a perfect GPA during his math and chemistry double-major while making a significant impact on the court for the Bobcats.
The local Brandon product was a CW second team all-star last season, and was once again impactful this season for BU. The Bobcats were a different team with Friesen in the lineup, going 13-1 with the veteran on the floor during a season which saw him miss significant playing
Friesen is the first Bobcat to win the award.
Nominees
CW: Seth Friesen, Brandon
(Winner)
OUA: Zac Hutcheson, Queen's
RSEQ: Laurent Duval-Demers, Sherbrooke
FOX 40 COACH OF THE YEAR:
Ben Josephson, Trinity Western
Ben Josephson is the U SPORTS Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, adding to his previous wins in 2011-12 and 2013-14.
Josephson led the Spartans to a 20-2 record this season, topping the nation's toughest men's volleyball conference in the regular season for the fourth time in program history (2011-12, 2013-14, 2017-18). The defending national champions also went wire-to-wire as the nation's
Nominees
CW: Ben Josephson, Trinity Western
(Winner)
OUA: John Barrett, Toronto
RSEQ: Ghazi Guidara, Montreal
