MVB: TWU takes home two of four major awards

CALGARY – Half of the Canada West men's volleyball major awards will find their homes with the country's top-ranked Trinity Western Spartans. The conference released the full list Thursday.

The Spartans' savvy and inspirational setter, Derek Epp has been named the Player of the Year after leading a dynamic, offensive team to a 15-1 record on the regular season.

The man who created that offence, Ben Josephson earns the nod as the conference's top coach for the fourth time in his CW career.

An athlete who needs few swings to take over a game is the league's Rookie of the Year. Philipp Lauter out of Brandon has already established himself among the CW elite.

And Winnipeg's star libero, Darian Picklyk, has earned the Student-Athlete Community Service Award after contributing as much off the court as he does on the court.

Trinity Western is now getting ready to host the Final Four (Brandon, Alberta and Calgary) this weekend. The Championship match is set for Saturday, with the semi-finals going Friday.

You can catch all the action on Canada West TV presented by Co-op.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Derek Epp

The centrepiece of the country's most dominant team, Derek Epp has been named the Canada West Player of the Year.

In an already-strong program, Epp shined as a veteran setter in a 6-2 system, commanding the offence while providing the coup de grâce when needed.

Epp led his team to boast the highest hitting percentage in the conference, while individually converting on half his attempts.

The versatile athlete led primary setters in points per set, combining his intelligence and creativity in a style that is fun to watch. Epp did all this after a year after he was told he would never play volleyball again, due to an illness. But he came back more resilient than ever, not just to the sport, but rising to claim the conference's top honour.

From the coach:

“A year ago, he wasn’t able to train two days in a row and nobody knew what the illness was and he was told he’d never play competitive volleyball again. Now, he’s the player of the year. The way he overcame that is why he is the player of the year. His ability to take on challenges with passion, but also with a methodical approach is what makes him a great setter. That blend of laser focus, yet free creativity is what always amazes us with Warden. His pre-match journal is as thick as an encyclopedia. He is meticulous on details, but somehow he is still able to play in a creative free-flowing way. That balance is super rare and I think that’s one of the things that makes him a truly special setter. He’s so focused and he knows exactly what he’s trying to do, but he’s very adaptable in creating on the fly. On top of that, what we’ve asked him to do this year – playing this random and very complicated system – takes advantage of (fellow setter/outside) Mathias (Elser) more than Derek... to have him play this well, while doing so many more things, is a tribute to how special of a player and person that he is.”
​- Trinity Western Spartans head coach Ben Josephson

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Philipp Lauter

The Rookie of the Year is Brandon's Philipp Lauter. The middle hitter showed his place among the league's elite in his very first season, posting a remarkable .380 hitting percentage on the year.

That was good for second in the conference, while his 39 service aces led the league. Lauter was twice named a CW Player of the Week during this impressive rookie campaign.

The offensive threats don't stop there for the young middle, who also ranked second in the conference in total blocks with 75.

Lauter's agility, ability to read plays and reputable serve make him a formidable opponent and instant game-changer for the Brandon Bobcats.

He will be one to watch in the years to come.

From the coach:

“Philipp had a fantastic rookie season and is more than deserving of this recognition." As excited as we are for him in receiving this award, what’s more exciting is what lies ahead, as we feel he is just going to get better with more experience in the annual Canada West grind.”
​-Brandon Bobcats head coach Grant Wilson

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Darian Picklyk

Winnipeg's Darian Picklyk is the recipient of the Student-Athlete Community Service Award.

The fourth-year libero led the conference in digs and digs per set by a wide margin. His laser-speed and focus were invaluable in his team's defence, where he turned what appeared to be opposing points into opportunities for his own team.

But the Birds Hill, MB product was a big contributor off the court as well.

Picklyk was the driving force behind an initiative to provide food and toys for less-fortunate families in the community. He also volunteers his time as a volleyball coach for youth and regularly donates blood while encouraging others to as well. ​

His extracurriculars extend into the world of Ukrainian dance. He's a renown performer and a member of an organization his parents started that serves to unite the local Ukrainian community.

The four-time Academic All-Canadian has also been recognized for representing community values and leading his teammates on and off the court.

From the coach:

"Darian is one of the finest young men we have had go through our program in all areas: academics, volunteerism and community activism. He is well-liked by teammates and opponents, while being a top player in our league. There aren’t enough superlatives to do justice to Darian. When it needs doing, he does it. When he acts for common good, he gets others to come with him. He has strong leadership qualities and uses them for the betterment of others."
​-Winnipeg Wesmen head coach Larry McKay

COACH OF THE YEAR: Ben Josephson

The Coach of the Year is the man at the helm of the country's top team. Trinity Western's Ben Josephson earns the award after leading his Spartans to a near-perfect record on the season.

Josephson assembled and employed a rare 6-2 system that utilizes his athletes' unique talents in the most effective way possible. The result: a fear-invoking team that can quickly beat down the will of their opponents. Josephson's Spartans, who went 15-1 on the regular season, led the conference in hitting percentage.

Josephson's work ethic, creativity, and technical eye have helped him capture this honour four times, including the last full season.

From the athletic director:

"Ben as the consummate professional has once again brought our team to a place where they can compete for a National Championship. ​ Ben has so many incredible qualities as a coach. ​ He connects with his athletes, he is technically brilliant and he has a tremendous work ethic. ​ But perhaps the thing that stands out the most this year is his creativity. ​ Through the challenges of Covid he simply went “into the lab” and came out with a super unique 6-2 system that has maximized the talents of this year’s group. ​ Ben is also a collaborator and a mentor. ​ He has built into Adam Schreimer and Ben Ball in a way that will propel our program forward. I could not be more grateful for the impact Ben has made on the legacy of our program."
​-Trinity Western Spartans director of athletics Jeff Gamache

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