MVB: 2024-25 Season Preview

The Mount Royal University Cougars men’s volleyball team starts on Friday, Oct. 25, hosting the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades. Before the men serve up their season, catch up on last season’s efforts and check out where they landed among Canada West coaches’ polls! 

Tickets
Watch the Cougars live on Kenyon Court by purchasing your tickets here. MRU students and employees receive free tickets to all home games.

Cougars Men’s Volleyball on Canada West TV
Every men’s volleyball game will be available live and on demand this season exclusively on Canada West TV – the official streaming home of the conference. To purchase your pass, click here. 

2024-25 CW Men’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll: Team / Points (First-place votes)
Alberta Golden Bears – 144 (12)
Trinity Western Spartans – 128 (1)
UBC Thunderbirds – 116
Winnipeg Wesmen – 101
Manitoba Bisons – 92
Saskatchewan Huskies – 91
Brandon Bobcats – 90
Calgary Dinos – 61
Mount Royal Cougars – 49
Thompson Rivers WolfPack – 48
Fraser Valley Cascades – 40
UBC Okanagan Heat – 33
MacEwan Griffins – 21

2023-24 CW Regular Season Record:
17-7

2023-24 CW Regular Season Division Placement:
2nd overall

2023-24 Post-Season Performance: 
1-2, lost in first round 3-2 (8-4 in sets overall) to Winnipeg Wesmen

2024-25 Season Opener
Friday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. vs University of the Fraser Valley Cascades

2024-25 Home Opener
Friday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. vs University of the Fraser Valley Cascades

Head Coach / # season / Career CW reg. season record:
Shawn Sky / 21st Season / 124-108

2023-24 CW regular season ranks: 
7th in Sets (93)
1st in Hitting Percentage (30.9%)
1st in Ball Handling Errors (13)
3rd in Kills per Set (12.05)
3rd in Block Errors (27)
5th in Service Errors (409)
5th in Block Assist (317)
5th in Block Total (208)
5th in Blocks per Set (2.23)
6th in Assists per Set (11.10)
6th in Kills (1121)
6th in Service Aces (138)
6th in Service Aces per Set (1.48)
6th in Assists (1032)
4th in Points per Set (15.7)
7th in Sets (93)
7th in Points (1458.0)
7th in Block Solo (49)
9th in Digs per Set (8.15)
10th in Reception Errors (116)
10th in Digs (758)
12th in Receptions (1527)
12th in Errors (375)
11th in Total Attacks (2413)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Sets played (Returning)
Grant Hill – 90

2023-24 regular season leaders: Matches played (Returning)
Grant Hill – 24

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Kills (per set) (Returning)
Jovan Stepanovic – 59 (0.81)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Total attacks (kill percentage) (Returning)
Jovan Stepanovic – 182 (16.5%)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Assists (per set) (Returning)
Grant Hill – 314 (3.49)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Serve aces (per set) (Returning)
Grant Hill – 2 (0.02)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Serve receptions (Returning)
Jovan Stepanovic – 21

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Digs (per set) (Returning)
Jovan Stepanovic – 58

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Solo blocks (Returning)
Jovan Stepanovicc – 6

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Block assists (Returning)
Grant Hill – 34 

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Total blocks (per set) (Returning)
Grant Hill – 39 (0.43)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Points (per set) (Returning)
Jovan Stepanovic – 78.5 (1.1)

Key additions (name / position / eligibility / hometown / last team)
Aidan Roberts / Middle / First Year / Tauranga, New Zealand / New Zealand Men’s National Team
Devon Sales-Parno / Setter / First Year / Vernon, BC / KVA Pack Volleyball Club
Mattias Dirks / Middle / First Year / Vancouver, BC / 604 Volleyball Club
Leks Symes / Outside / First Year / Leduc, AB / National Excellence Program
Calum Stewart / Outside / First Year / Tauranga, New Zealand / U19 New Zealand Men’s National Team
Oliver Profili / Outside / First Year / Vernon, BC / KVA Pack Volleyball Club
Isaac Karstad / Middle / Third Year / Yellowknife, NT / Ambrose University
Matthew Clements / Libero / Fourth Year / Grande Prairie, AB / Ambrose University
Paul Dionne / Outside / Fifth Year / Weyburn, SK / Lethbridge Kodiaks

Key Departures (name / position / hometown / years with program)
Jacob van Geel / Outside Hitter / Fourth Year / Calgary, AB / Next Gen Beach National Team
Chris Byam / Outside Hitter / Fourth Year / Bow Island, AB / Next Gen National Team
Jace Timmer / Middle / Fourth Year / Meadow Lake, SK / King’s University
Griffin Butler / Libero / Fourth Year / Edmonton, AB / Team Alberta
Luis Lange / Middle / Fifth Year / Caracas, Venezuela / National Excellence Program
Cody Boulding / Middle / Fifth Year / Prince George, BC / Red Deer Polytechnic
Max Haronga / Outside Hitter / Fifth Year / Vancouver, BC / Douglas College
Samson Olsen / Setter / Second Year / Bergen, Norway / TIF Vikings
Tate Howell / Outside Hitter / Second Year / Red Deer, AB / Team Alberta

Key performer: Grant Hill
Grant Hill, who played behind Olsen in last year’s rotation, is now the Cougars’ starting setter and, at six feet and five inches tall, brings offensive and defensive versatility on every play. Last season, Hill proved that he can do more than just set up his hitters; he earned five solo blocks and assisted on 34 other rejections on defense to complement his 14 kills on offense, which he earned without recording a single error.

Hill is also an ace of a setter, earning 314 assists on the season, which averaged out to 3.49 assists per game. He has a soft enough touch to float the ball into the perfect spot for his hitters to spike and score. With the incredible core of hitters the Cougars had last year, Hill had plenty of opportunities to learn exactly where to place his passes, aiding in his development and preparing him for his first season as a starting setter in Canada West.

Despite being considered the backup last year, Hill and Olsen split sets pretty evenly, with Hill playing in seven more sets and nine more matches than Olsen. Whenever Mount Royal earned a big lead in the game, Hill proved valuable in giving Olsen rest and was an iron man when it came to staying healthy. The greatest ability an athlete can provide their team is availability, and as this year’s starting setter, Hill has already proven he can withstand the rigors of the full Canada West season and consistently perform at a high level.

Season Preview
Cougars men’s volleyball team fans will be surprised to see a slew of new faces on the roster. After four years of being led by a series of all-time collegiate greats, the team waved goodbye to Norwegian starting setter Samson Olsen and a series of their taller frontline players, including Luis Lange, Max Haronga, and Chris Byam, one of MRU’s greatest volleyball players of all time. 

In their stead, Jovan Stepanovic has stepped up as leader of this team, helping young players on the rise develop into deadly threats. Second-year middle, Cody Hudson, plays right next to Stepanovic and has been a receptive listener to the vet’s advice, which has helped him adjust to being a starter for the first time in his USPORTS career. Grant Hill, who played behind Olsen in the rotation last season, brings versatility and height to the team and is ready to assume the starting setter role this year.

Leading the team from the bench is Shawn Sky, who has coached the men’s volleyball team since 2004, eight years before the Cougars joined USPORTS. His squad’s greatest strength is in their size and athleticism, and that will help them defy expectations for a year of rebuilding; despite finishing second in Canada West last season, the Cougars were ranked ninth in the Coaches’ Preseason Poll. As ferocious underdogs, the Cougars see themselves as a dangerous force to be reckoned with in Canada West this year.