With numerous years of starting experience under his belt, fourth-year Bisons setter Jack Mandryk’s confidence is at an all-time high as his squad prepares for post-season play.
Currently fourth in the conference in assists with 532, the Lord Selkirk alum has successfully dished the ball more than 40 times on five different occasions, including three of his last four contests.
Manitoba’s depth has been an asset this season. It’s arguably the most versatile roster Mandryk and company have had over the last few years and they’re continuing to get better, specifically outside where three different players have at least 300 attacks and 100 kills.
The trio are led by dynamic 6’6″ Ben Carleton, whose 202 kills rank sixth in the conference, while 6’6″ first-year sensation Spencer Grahame has been on a tear as of late, with 43 of his 120 kills coming in the last two weeks. Additionally, team captain and long-time friend Owen Schwartz has been his usual consistent self with 109.
The trifecta of talent is supported by super subs like Matthew Campbell (41 kills, six service aces), while Manitoba’s middle attack — when it’s clicking — opens up the rest of the floor. Former All-Rookie member Darian Koskie (.398 hitting percentage) is one of the best attackers at his position, while Mandryk’s housemate Zach Janzen exploded for nine kills in a 3-0 win over Saskatchewan on Jan. 29. Multiple-time conference blocks leader Brendan Warren has also added 49 kills.
“I feel like we have such a balanced group and that helps me, just having three outside guys that can hit the ball and that I trust. It’s been great just knowing that I can literally throw them garbage sometimes and they’ll find a way to get a kill or get a recycle or make a good opportunity out of that,” Mandryk said.
“Spencer, when he gets a kill out there, it’s excellent to see him, it’s just pure joy. They’ve all been great. Owen’s been as reliable as ever and Ben has an absolute cannon on his right arm, so that’s always nice. I’ve been playing with Zach since 17U and Brendan since 18U, so I’ve had a long time with those guys and Darian is excellent. He’s so athletic and tall and has that high reach. Not only them, but [first-year] Jonah [Dueck] is really good too.”
Leaning on Lupo
The addition of former professional setter Arnd ‘Lupo’ Ludwig at head coach has greatly benefitted Mandryk. In years past, he didn’t think as “tactically or purposefully” about his sets, but now it’s a major weapon in his arsenal.
“There’s been a lot of tactical info. Stuff like we need to get our middle attackers more involved here or their middles are cheating outside, putting too much pressure on our outsides. It’s basically just tips and advice on where I should trend the offence to,” recalled Mandryk.
“He’s also talked about looking at who’s on the other side of the court, where their blockers are, who’s the big blocker, where are the smaller blockers and how do our attackers match up against them? I know if I have Ben or Spencer on the left side against another smaller setter, then that’s a good option and they’ll crush that ball if they can get a good opportunity. Lupo and [assistant coach] Mike [Stephens] have placed more of an emphasis on that and I think that’s been really helpful.”
The little details have gone a long way in Mandryk’s game, and it’s more than just reading the opposition’s rotation. Ludwig also helped Manrdyk work on a “quicker, cleaner release” that’s consistent for his hitters, while identifying when to spread the love. For example, in all but two of Manitoba’s seven wins this season, a minimum of two outside hitters have had at least 20 attacks, and none have had less than 18.
Furthermore, on two of the three occasions where Carleton, Grahame and Schwartz each had 30 attacks, the Bisons have been victorious. This includes last Saturday, where the trio combined for 97 in a 3-2 win that featured a season-best 17 kills from Grahame.
“Jack, I think he’s developed a lot in these last couple of months. We had for example, the game in Saskatchewan [Nov. 12-13] we played where we beat them on the first night and the second night our best hitter from the first night got his first ball in the third set. I said, well what’s going on there? As a setter you usually don’t really recognize it until you really see it,” reflected Ludwig.
“Mike and I just talked about it, [on Saturday], [Mandryk] had perfect distribution between the three hitters. Everybody had between 25 and 30 balls. It makes it a lot more difficult for the opposition.”
More than a distributor
Mandryk’s identity as a setter extends far beyond his distribution. Anyone who’s seen the 6’0″ sparkplug on the court knows that he’ll do whatever he can to keep a rally alive or give his team an advantage. The crafty athlete prides himself on his film study and knowing the tendencies of his opponents. It’s one of the many reasons why he leads all players at his position in the conference in digs, with 118.
A textbook example of Mandryk’s defensive abilities came a few weeks ago against Brandon, where he dove from the back row to make a pancake block with one hand. His side eventually won the point. He’s also in the top 20 in total blocks, with 36, once again demonstrating his versatility and willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
“We do a lot of work on where the other guys are going to hit. Then we’ll decide and talk as a team. I know if we’re taking cross on their right side attacker, that’s my job to come under for the tip, because they’re blocking cross court and I’m not going to get the hard driven ball. Things definitely feel a lot more system-based this year, and I think when we’re really following our systems that we discuss in pre-game, we definitely see more success.”
When Mandryk and company are playing in the moment, they’re at their best. They did just that in come-from-behind 3-2 wins over Brandon on Nov. 27 and last weekend against the Huskies, games that featured a number of long rallies. Fittingly, the setter led the team in digs in both contests, with 15 and 14, respectively and mentioned the former as being a critical moment the team can look back on when searching for post-season motivation.
“I think that was the most fire and the most fight that we’ve brought to a game. Remember what that felt like and try to re-create it. In a game like that, you’re truly just enjoying the moment and you’re in the game and it’s just fun and competitive. You’re not really thinking about anything else.”