LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western’s men’s volleyball team led the way in Canada West on the all-star ballot, earning a conference-best three all-stars nods and an all-rookie honour.
Outsides Brodie Hofer (Langley) and Jesse Elser (Calgary) were named First Team All-Stars, while Mathias Elser (Calgary), who flip-flopped between setter and outside this season, was named a Second Team All-Star, while first-year Anslem Rein (Erfurt, Germany) was placed on the All-Rookie Team.
Hofer was dominant in 2022-23 as he led the Spartans with 4.45 points per set (5th in CW) and was instrumental in helping guide TWU to an 18-6 regular season record. Hofer, who will graduate this spring, also led TWU in hitting percentage, at.392 (3rd in CW), kills per set, with 3.63 (7th in CW) and aces per set, with 0.67 (2nd in CW).
Fellow first teamer Jesse Elser was just behind Hofer in hitting percentage, at .366 (4th in CW) while also averaging .40 aces per set (7th in CW). Having lined up at libero at times throughout the year, the multi-talented Elser led the Spartans in digs per set, with 1.67 (10th in CW).
Younger brother Mathias Elser, who was a setter sometimes and an outside hitter at other times throughout the campaign, finished the regular season with 0.61 aces per set (3rd in CW), while averaging 6.18 assists per set and 1.47 kills per set.
In his first full season on the court with the Spartans, Rein averaged 7.41 assists per set.
The Spartans will host Calgary this weekend, starting Thursday (8pm PT) at the Langley Events Centre, in a best-of-three Canada West Semifinal series. The winner of the series will advance to the Canada West final and secure a berth into the U SPORTS Championship tournament. The top three teams in Canada West advance to the national tournament.
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN
1st Team All Stars
OH / Jordan Canham / Alberta / 4 / Education / Avonmore, ON
OH / Dylan Mortensen / Saskatchewan / 5 / Business / Swift Current, SK
OH / Chris Byam / Mount Royal / 3 / Health & Phys. Ed. / Bow Island, AB
OH / Brodie Hofer / Trinity Western / 4 / Business / Langley, BC
OH / Matthew Neaves / British Columbia / 4 / Business / Calgary, AB
OH / Jesse Elser / Trinity Western / 4 / Education / Calgary, AB
L / Landon Currie / Alberta / 5 / Business / Vernon, BC
2nd Team All Stars
M / Philipp Lauter / Brandon / 2 / Music / Wiesbaden, Germany
OH / Jacob van Geel / Mount Royal / 3 / Business / Calgary, AB
L / Darian Picklyk / Winnipeg / 5 / Business and Administration / Springfield, MB
M / Lincoln Baines / Calgary / 4 / Business / Calgary, AB
OH / Levi Olson / Saskatchewan / 5 / Engineering / Saskatoon, SK
OH / Nimo Benne / Fraser Valley / 3 / Computing Science / Castricum, The Netherlands
OH/S / Mathias Elser / Trinity Western / 3 / Business / Calgary, AB
All Rookie Team
M / Jordon Heppner / Manitoba / 1 / University One / Winnipeg, MB
OH / Conaire Taub / British Columbia / 1 / Kinesiology / Calgary, AB
OH / Seba Manuel / UBC Okanagan / 1 / Health & Exercise Sciences / Kelowna, BC
S / Anselm Rein / Trinity Western / 1 / Biology / Erkfurt, Germany
S / Zack Durrant / Calgary / 1 / Kinesiology / Calgary, AB
OH / Jacob Sargent / Alberta / 1 / Kinesiology, Sport & Rec. / Lethbridge, AB
L / Ethan Smith / Saskatchewan / 1 / Kinesiology / Prince Albert, SK
MEN’S ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIES BY TEAM
School / First Team / Second Team / All-Rookies = TOTAL
Trinity Western Spartans: 2 / 1 / 1 = 4
Alberta Golden Bears: 2 / 0 / 1 = 3
Saskatchewan Huskies: 1 / 1 / 1 = 3
Mount Royal Cougars: 1 / 1 / 0 = 2
UBC Thunderbirds: 1 / 0 / 1 = 2
Calgary Dinos: 0 / 1 / 1 = 2
Brandon Bobcats: 0 / 1 / 0 = 1
Winnipeg Wesmen: 0 / 1 / 0 = 1
Fraser Valley Cascades: 0 / 1 / 0 = 1
Manitoba Bisons: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
UBCO Heat: 0 / 0 / 1 = 1
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women’s rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men’s rugby and varsity disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 13 U SPORTS team championships and 32 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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