Men's Volleyball Recruiting Class 2026

COACH PAT HENNELLY

“Excited to have Sam join our program, Sam is a dynamic and dedicated athlete with a great defensive attitude."

"Sam is a student of the game and I am sure he is getting a lot out of the NEP program and head coach Dave Preston. Sam will bring a lot of enthusiasm and intensity to the Libero position and is a great addition to our program."

SAM BLACKWOOD

“I have a friend who really recommended to reach out to TRU, he really loved Pat and thought it was a great place. I’m a really big skiing guy so Sun Peaks being 45 minutes away was a huge plus.”

“Canada West was obviously the highest level volleyball that you can play in Canada and I’ve got big goals so I think this is where I can accomplish them. There is lots of beautiful nature here in Kamlops and it’s not too big of a city so for me coming from Newfoundland that was a great fit.”

“I feel really grateful, I’ve worked really, really hard kind of in isolation without the resources that a lot of the other players from more traditional volleyball areas have. It’s satisfying to see the hard work that I’ve put in start to pay off.”

“I really like the way Pat speaks about loyalty, he really cares about his players and not just as athletes but as people, that resonated with me a lot. I really got the vibe of a tight-knit community here at TRU and that spoke to me a lot.”

COACH PAT HENNELLY

“I think Elliott's play is very similar to what a guy like Rylan Ibbetson can bring, he's got great ball control, is a great defender and has good energy on the court."

"I got the chance to watch him at nationals and he performed really well. He played Canada Cup with team Alberta and then made the Canada Games team and played some crucial minutes for team Alberta on their way to win the tournament. It was really impressive to see him throughout his club season and then improve even more at the Canada Games."

"His entire family is a volleyball and sports family. His aunt coaches at Simon Fraser University, his mom played at Waterloo so the whole family there in Beaverlodge is a sports family so that really fits the mould of what we are looking for. Being from Beaverlodge, Elliott joins Corbin Ockerman from Elk Point and some other small town guys."

"We are impressed with everything about him, and to add a special component he's a really top student so he's coming with good grades. That's been the mould in our program with some outstanding student-athletes like Matthew Hamilton, Sam Elgert, Dylan VanSpankeren and Corbin Ockerman coming from Alberta and Elliott is fitting right into that."

"Elliott is one of those crucial guys that we got on early and he has really developed into the player that I thought he would. I couldn't be more excited to bring a guy with the character, grades and work ethic that Elliott has to our team."

ELLIOTT ROURKE

“I chose TRU, in part, due to its beautiful campus, “small town” feel, but also all the wonderful people I have met surrounding both the volleyball program and the academic community."

"I’ve been around the sport of volleyball nearly my whole life, playing on school teams as early as grade 4. I have been fortunate to be a part of many successful teams, medaling in provincials every year since u14, and earning the silver medal at beach volleyball nationals. Along with that club and beach volleyball success, the last two summers I have had the honour of representing team Alberta in the Canada Cup, and this year in winning the Canada Summer Games. I hope by attending TRU I will continue that success and further compete at the highest level."

"I was pretty sure I wanted to join the WolfPack after meeting Pat and the team last fall. however, quality coaching and teammates are not the only thing that goes into choosing a program. Once I watched a few games in Kamloops, seeing the community around the school and the team made me sure that TRU was the place for me."

COACH PAT HENNELLY

"He's a younger guy playing up an age group but physically he fit right in and we still think there's some growth there. He's extremely explosive and I think he's got incredible potential. He still has another year to develop and has untapped potential, so he's a blue-chip guy that we are really excited to have join the WolfPack."

CARTER LAKE

"To play for the WolfPack is an honour. I wanted to train with and play against the best players in the country and receive elite coaching and TRU's program will make me a better player. Playing at TRU provides me the opportunity to continue to develop in my volleyball journey and that is exciting."