The Nipissing Lakers men’s volleyball team has secured strength in the middle with their latest recruit.
The Lakers are excited and proud to announce the addition of middle, Jacob Isnor, who will join the program for the 2024-25 OUA season.
Isnor is making his way to the Lakers after hitting the court with the U18 Maverick Mustangs at the club level.
“I’m super excited. I never would have thought a year or two ago that I would be able to play volleyball at such a high level and I’m super grateful for the opportunity presented by coaching staff and the entire program,” he said.
Currently enrolled in the mathematics program, Isnor also has his sights set on a bachelor of education degree.
Hailing from Metcalfe, ON – in the Ottawa area – Isnor said his visits to Nipissing made the choice an easy one for him and his family.
“Everything that was shown to me,” he said of what he liked about Nipissing. “From the middle specific practices to the spacious residence to the training facilities, to the top class teacher’s college, there wasn’t a single reason that I could think of not to choose Nipissing.”
Isnor said his demeanour on the court and his approach are two things that make him a valuable part of the team.
“I’m very coachable,” he said. “I pride myself on applying everything a coach tells me. I understand that everything they say is meant to make me better and I treat it that way.”
While he’s relatively new to volleyball – in comparison to many teammates – Isnor’s raw skill makes him an athlete with a lot of potential for the Lakers.
He’s aware of that and plans on using his first year with the Lakers to soak up as much information as possible.
“This year will be lots of learning and acclimating to university level volleyball. It sounds like a pretty big adjustment both in court time and intensity so getting my body in shape to a similar level to the rest of the guys will be a priority,” he said. “Trent (O’Brien) mentioned that the team feels like a family to him so I guess my other expectation is to find my family at Nipissing, whether that comes from the team or other students.”
Lakers head coach Eric Yung believes Isnor will be a nice piece of the puzzle and will give the team some depth moving forward.
“We are thrilled to adding Jacob to our roster for the 2024-25 season. With the addition of Jacob, we have added depth to our middle blocker position for the foreseeable future,” he said. “With Jacob, we know he won’t shy away from challenges, and we look forward to seeing him challenge the other middles on a nightly basis.”
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