Bison Volleyball Secures Top Recruit

Feb. 6 - With the Bison men's volleyball team in the hunt for its third straight CIS Championship title, one might think Head Coach Garth Pischke has things to think about other than recruiting. However, that is clearly not the case, as Pischke and the Bison volleyball program are pleased to announce the team's latest recruiting coup.

According to Coach Pischke, 6'6" 195-LB Toon (pronounced Tone) Van Lankvelt is considered by many to be the top High School player in the province and perhaps the country. Van Lankvelt hails from Rivers, MB, and back in September he transferred to Neelin High School just outside of Brandon, where he received numerous individual awards this season, including a provincial All-Star nomination, several tournament MVPs,and a M.H.S.A.A. Athlete of the Week nomination.

The Bisons have a connection with Rivers, MB from the past with former Bison star Russ Paddock, and Van Lankvelt readily admits that Paddock who has coached him over the course of the last few years, had some influence on his decision to come to Manitoba to further his career. Coach Pischke who has been recruiting Van Lankvelt for the better part of the last year gushes about the future Bison, stating that he is without a doubt the best high school player in the province, and a future can't miss player at the CIS level.

Van Lankvelt received serious offers from a number of schools in Canada, but after looking at them all, he says there really was no decision to make when he looked at the winning tradition and history of the Bison men's volleyball program. With the success enjoyed by many of Coach Pischke's teams and individual players over the years, Van Lankvelt and his parents feel there is no need to go out of the province or anywhere else for that matter.

Van Lankvelt, who will not turn 18 until July and will enroll in University 1 this fall at Manitoba also feels that he will not get better coaching or a better chance to develop his volleyball career anywhere else in Canada and that also factored into his decision. An excellent all-around athlete, Van Lankvelt who plays power and right side, has competed for Team Manitoba for a number of years and last summer travelled to London, Ontario as part of the Manitoba contingent at the Canada Summer Games where he was a teammate of current Bison Josh Klassen.

Van Lankvelt's current coach at Neelin, Don Thompson, says that Van Lankvelt is a tremendously gifted athlete and a fierce competitor, both attributes that will serve him and the Bison program well in the future. Thompson also goes on to say that he was very impressed with Van Lankvelt's leadership abilities at the beginning of this year when he arrived at Neelin stating that Toon took charge of the team, both on and off the court and made everyone around him better. Thompson also points out that Van Lankvelt is extremely coachable and intelligent and it has been a pleasure to watch him develop as an athlete this season.

The future looks bright for both the Bisons and Van Lankvelt. Watch for the newest Bison star next season here at Manitoba.