2024-25 Season Preview: Huskie Men’s Volleyball

SASKATOON, Sask. – After opening the 2024-25 Canada West volleyball season with consecutive bye-weeks, the University of Saskatchewan Men’s Volleyball team is finally set to make their season debut. The Dogs will host the Mount Royal Cougars this weekend in a two-game series to kick off the regular season, as they look to build off a strong 2023-24 season and get back into the conference playoffs. 
 

2023-24 Recap
Regular Season: 16-8 / 5th in Canada West
CW Playoffs: 0-2 / Lost to UBC in Quarter-finals
CW Team Ranks: Offence – 9th (14.9 Pts/S) / Defence – T-1st (941 Digs)
Regular Season Leaders (RETURNING):
    Points – Emmett Graham (377.5)
    Kills – Emmett Graham (328)
    Assists – Noah Opseth (1,007)
    Digs – Ethan Smith (193)
    Service Aces – Emmett Graham (22)
 

2024-25 Canada West Coaches Poll

Friday’s season-opening match will begin the start of a 20-game regular season for the Huskies, who will be competing with 13 programs from across West Canada for conference supremacy. At the conclusion of the regular season schedule, the top 10 teams will earn a ticket to the Canada West playoffs, beginning with a play-in best-of-three series featuring the 10th seed at the 7th seed and 9th seed and the 8th seed. From there, a best-of-three quarterfinal round will cut the number of teams still alive to four before a single-elimination final four to determine this year’s conference champion. The two teams facing off in the championship game will also earn a ticket to the 2025 U SPORTS Championship tournament which is staying out west this season. The University of Bradnon Bobcats will serve as this year’s hosts, with the tournament set to take place from March 21-23, 2025. 

This year, the Huskies will be tested early with the team set to head to Brandon in week 2 of the regular season to take on the Bobcats who were ranked just one spot below the Dogs in the preseason coaches poll. The following week the team head to Edmonton to take on the defending conference and national champion Alberta Golden Bears, ranked No. 1 in both the Canada West coaches poll and the U SPORTS Top 10 rankings. Saskatchewan is also set to close out the regular season with a challenge as they will make their lone trip to BC in the final week of the campaign to take on the Trinity Western Spartans. 

For head coach Sean McKay, who enters his 7th season in charge of the Huskie men’s volleyball program, this year’s team has set some high expectations for themselves, expectations he believes are within reach for this group of student-athletes. 

“The guys set a goal of attending nationals for themselves and while there is a lot of work to do before that becomes a reality, we believe we have the right people and athletes to make that happen. We may not look like the other teams that be around at that point in the season, but we have the potential to get a different way through our systems, skill, and physicality.”

Keep reading for a breakdown of this year’s Huskie men’s volleyball team.
 

2024-24 Huskie Men’s Volleyball Recruiting Class
(Name / No. / Position / Height / Eligibility Year / College / Hometown / Last Team/High School)

Griffin Duncalfe / #18 / OH / 6’2″ / 3 / Biomedical Science / Swift Current, Sask. / Nipissing Lakers
Aaron Elser / #9 / LH / 6’7″ / 4 / Business / Calgary, Alta. / EP Scarlett Lancers
Daniel Hermanson / #7 / OH / 6’2″ / 1 / Business / Saskatoon, Sask. / Saskatoon Christian School
Adam Linnell / #2 / MB / 6’8″ / 1 / Arts & Science / Melfort, Sask. / Melfort & Unit Comprehensive Collegiate

Quote from head coach Sean McKay on the 2024-25 recruiting class: “This year we have added a mix of experienced athletes and young players out of high school. Despite none of them planning to consume eligibility this season, the will add a ton to our practice environment, pushing starters as they continue to develop.”
 

The Huskies are led by a dynamic duo in the middle of their lineup in middle blockers Lucas Musschoot (Saskatoon, SK) and Jacob Baird (Daisy Hill, AUS), both of who enter their second seasons with the program after earning Canada West All-Rookie status last season. The international quality middles bring both size and physicality to the Huskie lineup and will look to see an above-average amount of volume this season. For Musschoot, his impressive all-star freshman season saw the former Team Canada U21 member finish with 135.0 points and a team-high 58 total blocks. Meanwhile Baird, who has appeared on the Australian U21 and Men’s National team, totaled 145.5 points and 110 kills with an impressive hitting percentage of .341 in 24 matches last year. He was also another strong defensive player for the Dogs, recording the third-most blocks on the team (50). 

On the pin, the Huskies return plenty of experience in the trio of Jefferson Morrow (Wynnum, AUS), Joshua Thorson (Saskatoon, SK), and Emmett Graham (Saskatoon, SK). The veteran group will be tasked with locking down the serve receive line alongside Saskatchewan libero Ethan Smith. Morrow, a fifth-year arts & science major, finished second on the team with 202.5 points and 176 kills, while teammate Thorson totaled 62.0 points with a strong .277 hitting percentage. Fourth-year Emmett Graham, a 2023-24 Canada West Second Team All-Star, was the Dogs’ No.1 performer last year finishing 8th in the conference in points (377.5) and 7th in kills (328) while also contributing defensively with 152 digs in 24 matches. Finally, Ethan Smith will once again lock down the libero position for the Dogs in 2024-25. A steady force at the position and the team captain, Smith led the team in digs last season with 193, the fourth-most in Canada West.
 

Tickets to this weekend’s matches against Mount Royal are available at HuskieTickets.com, along with both single-game and season tickets to all home Huskie volleyball action. 

For fans unable to make it to the Physical Activity Complex (PAC) this weekend, tune in to CanadaWest.tv and don’t miss a second of the action.