Two top Canadian recruits commit to WolfPack men’s volleyball

By BRONWEN SCOTT
April 4 2007

KAMLOOPS-Two of the top high school players in the country who have both proven themselves at national championships have committed to playing with the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s volleyball team.

Winnipeg student Stefan Savoie and Gordon Perrin of Creston, BC join Revelstoke spiker Josh Boruck, who committed to the WolfPack in March, as the CIS team’s 2007/08 rookies.

“These guys are both physically ready to challenge for playing time and will make our practice environment very competitive,” said WolfPack head coach Patrick Hennelly. “These two guys will make this team competitive for the next five years,” he added.

TRU Athletics Director Ken Olynyk agreed: “The addition of Stefan and Gordon to the men's volleyball program along with the young players already on the team should make the men’s volleyball program contenders for years to come. I look forward to watching Stefan and Gordon develop in our program and compete for the WolfPack.”

Savoie, who was voted the third-ranked player in Manitoba, stands 6’7” and will join the WolfPack as a middle blocker. The youth, named to the provincial and graduating Manitoba High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) all-star teams, was a starter on both the 2006 Manitoba Provincial and Youth National teams, and was also named to the all-star team at the U16 national club championships.

“I like the way Stefan plays the game, very intense and competitive,” said Hennelly. “He brings an edge to the court and is a great emotional leader. When I watched Stefan play last year at the club Nationals I was impressed with his physical and emotional leadership. Stefan will be a big part of our program as a middle blocker and I think he will challenge for a spot on the court. Stefan has been on winning teams in club and high school and started this summer for the Youth National Team, and these experiences will serve him well.”

Perrin, who stands 6’6” and has a spike touch reaching 11’5.5”, will join the ‘Pack as an outside hitter. Like Savoie, he was a starter on the 2006 Youth National team, and was named a first-team all-star at the BC High School AA Championships, where his team captured the bronze medal. He was also a member of the U17 Team BC in 2006 and the U16 Team BC in 2005 and 2004, was named MVP at the 2005 Western Elite Championships. Gordon was the top attacker for Canada in the summer of 2006 at the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) youth championships.

“Gordon Perrin is one of the most physically dominant high school players I have ever seen. He had the biggest spike touch at the youth national team try-out camp 11 feet 5.5 inches and at 6 foot 6 inches he may still be growing,” said Hennelly. “His father, Dave Perrin, author of the “Country Vet” series (www.davespress.com), is 6 feet 10 inches. I watched Gordon win the hardest hitter contest at the high school provincial championships as a grade 11 athlete; he hit a ball that bounced around 35 feet to win the competition: very impressive. When Gordon becomes acclimatized to school and volleyball at the University level he will be a force at the net and compete for playing time in his first year.”

Both youths were major factors in Canada’s fourth-place finish at the 2006 NORCECA Youth Men’s Continental Championship held in the Dominican Republic last August, which features the top youth men’s teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.