EPP NAMED CANADA WEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western University men’s volleyball setter Derek Epp (Saskatoon, Sask.) is the Canada West Player of the Year. 

Epp capped his Spartans career in outstanding fashion, as the veteran setter flourished in a unique role as a setter within a 6-2 system. Epp led TWU to a Canada West best .330 hitting percentage and led all primary setters in points per set, with 1.1, and kills per set, with 0.53. As an attacker, he had an individual hitting percentage of .500. In leading TWU, Epp was a perfect 12-0 in the regular season as a starter.

The Player of the Year award adds to an impressive collection of Canada West honours to Epp’s shelf, which also includes being named a First Team All-Star both this year and in 2019-20 and being named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team in 2016-17 (when he was playing with the University of Saskatchewan). 

Beyond the Canada West season, the 2021-22 campaign saw Epp, who already has experience with Canada’s senior national team, help TWU, who was representing Canada, to a silver medal at the Pan-American Cup in the Dominican Republic. He also posted a record of 5-1 in the six matches he played, when the Spartans participated in a series of games with Pepperdine, Long Beach State, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. 

Epp is the seventh Spartan men’s volleyball player to win the CW Player of the Year award, following in the footsteps of Josh Howatson (2006-07), Ben Ball (2011-12), Nick Del Bianco (2014-15), Ryan Sclater (2016-17), Adam Schriemer (2017-18) and Eric Loeppky (2019-20). 

Ben Josephson – Head 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 all 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 – actually takes advantage of (fellow setter/outside) Mathias (Elser) more than Derek. We’re leveraging Mathias’s strengths and putting Derek in non-strength areas and asking him to play well. Knowing who Derek is, we felt that was an easy ask and he’d be able to do it. He had to give up control and we’re asking him to change the game as a setter late without having the chance to have flow and feel throughout the match. It was a huge ask of Derek and to have him play this well, while doing so many more things, is a tribute to how special of a player and person he is. I’m really thankful that other teams and coaches noticed how special his season was, even though it wasn’t your traditional setting season. This year, Derek wasn’t just a great setter, he was a great volleyball player. That’s another great evolution in his game as well as another extension of his character.”

“He has the challenge of this illness and he overcomes it with hard work, knowledge and dedication but also attacks it in a very organized and methodical way. He ticks the boxes and works through it.” 

-TW-