In 2022-23, men’s volleyball middle Jordon Heppner became just the fourth student-athlete in the storied history of the program to win national Rookie of the Year.
The 6’6″ play-maker finished seventh in the country in assisted blocks that year with 67, and he played the third most sets of any Bison, at 84, stepping up following an injury to veteran Brendan Warren.
Heppner hit .338 and had his best attacking performance against UBCO in the first month of the season, with ten kills, adding an incredible nine total blocks in the second half of the season against Winnipeg, a career-high. Last year, Heppner’s 85 total blocks led the Bisons, and tied for fifth in Canada West, and he has 177 overall in two-and-a-half seasons.
A versatile force, his hitting percentage of .346 as a rookie, and .323 hitting percentage last year both led Manitoba, and he’s racked up at least 20 service aces each of the last two years. His 12 aces over the first six games this season are second in Canada West, while the Bisons lead the conference with 56 overall.
Suffice to say, Heppner’s made a smooth transition to the U SPORTS level, moulded by a variety of key experiences, and a mature, level-headed approach to the game.
“I don’t really get mad at myself. I’m a super relaxed guy on the court. Guys that get aggressive with themselves sometimes get into slumps, like it’s their own doing. I think my biggest factor has been going into games hyping myself up, saying I’m not the underdog, making me feel like I’m better than the other middle I’m playing against today. I say a prayer before every game too. That gets my head locked in, and relaxes me.”
Relentless approach
Already 6’3″ by the time he reached grade ten, the Steinbach native’s athleticism and work ethic helped the Sabres win a JV provincial title in grade ten. Heppner was Tournament MVP, growing in his game through the mentorship of key coaches.
His early years in the sport were enhanced via the Junior Pilots program and coach Lyle Koop. At the high school level, his coach was Greg Loeppky, the father of Olympian Eric who also represented Canada at the World Masters Games in 2005.
“I realized I’m almost built for volleyball,” said Heppner, who played a variety of sports growing up.
“Back then I was already really tall, and I loved jumping. I found jumping was one of my strengths. The tournaments, and playing against guys that I already knew from Winnipeg made me really fall in love with the sport.”
In Heppner’s senior season at Steinbach, he got the chance to play left side. The new role allowed him to get more involved in the attack, and increased his volleyball IQ.
“Staying on the court the whole game [as a left side], it’s a lot different. It keeps your mind focused on the game throughout the entire two hours. Most middles don’t like passing, but I really enjoyed the passing aspect of the game, and serve-receive, and getting a lot more balls on the outside.”
Further on, Heppner received quality coaching from Memorial Seahawks alum Maiya Westwood as part of the Junior Bisons program. In the summer of 2022, he won a national title with the Junior Bisons’ 18U squad, which featured four future UM teammates in Harrison Ens, Sammy Ludwig, Rowan Krahn and Kai Boyko.
The Herd went 9-0 during nationals, and only dropped two sets along the way against the best competition in the country.
Overall, the 12-person roster included ten different U SPORTS commits. Heppner didn’t start on the loaded roster, but he did record the game-winning block in the national final. Having to earn every minute on the floor motivated him to work on his craft even further, and that effort paid off with notable action as a true freshman for the Herd.
“It was a great learning experience for me not just physically but mentally as well. Getting the game-winning block, that was a core memory for me. That season made me realize how much of a mental sport this game is. I think I really thrived after that season,” he recalled.
“That was one of the strongest 18U teams probably in history in Canada. It was just a pleasure to be on that team. It prepared me really well for that first season of university. Obviously I had some pressure, not starting in my 18U year. I’m already signed with the Bisons, what is coach going to think? But I think that really actually helped me build my self confidence. I worked my ass off that summer after 18U.”
Playing alongside veteran setter Jack Mandryk (top ten all-time in regular season Canada West assists) was an added plus for Heppner. The duo formed an instant connection in their one season of U SPORTS action together.
“Obviously we only played one year together, but that’s probably the best setter-middle connection I’ve had. Something clicked between me and him. He’d be able to find me on the floor wherever I was,” Heppner said of Mandryk.
“He loved going back to me if I made a mistake. He never gave up on me if I was having a bad game. I feel like that showed in our consistency throughout the year. We’d get into a slump and then he’d keep feeding me. That’s how you get out of slumps is getting more reps.”
That relentless approach has served Heppner well, and it continues to fuel his game.
Last season during the conference playoffs, the No. 8 seeded Bisons were the only team to win a match against the eventual national champion Alberta Golden Bears, with Heppner contributing five kills, a game-high .385 hitting percentage and 11 total points in a 3-2 win during game one of a three-game series.
In game two, Manitoba was a set from eliminating Alberta, with Heppner hitting .556.
“Last year we barely squeaked into the playoffs. We definitely deserved a spot in the playoffs and I’m glad we were able to get that experience. We were obviously the eighth team going against the first team. What really helped us thrive that weekend, is we are a great team when we play free, and without much pressure. That’s exactly what happened,” said Heppner.
“We didn’t have anything to lose that weekend. We really fought until the end in that series. We were one set away from taking the national champions out of the playoffs. I know it’s stuck with all of us until now. It was a great learning experience for us.”
Now in year three and a veteran voice on a tight-knit roster, Heppner and company can draw on their past experience. They’re sitting in a playoff spot after six games in the extremely competitive Canada West conference, welcoming 2-4 Brandon, this year’s host of nationals, to town on the weekend.
“We’re all brothers on this team. I’m getting into the position where I can be more of a leader going into my third year. We’ve got a bunch of amazing recruits this year, [right side] Owen [Weekes] being someone I guess I can mentor a little bit, because he has such a good chance of getting Rookie of the Year like I did. Overall, I couldn’t be on a more tightly-knit team. I know for a fact that will help us as we get further into the season. It’s been a great couple years on the Bisons.”