By Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming)
The University of Manitoba women’s volleyball program introduced five top Manitoban recruits for the upcoming 2012-13 season this week.
Alongside Katelyn Falk and Sarah Klassen from Garden Valley Collegiate, and Rebecca Kohler from Oak Park High School, there are two names very familiar to the Bisons’ varsity sports programs.
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River East Collegiate’s Caleigh Dobie is the daughter of head football coach Brian Dobie, while Taylor Pischke (Fort Richmond Collegiate) is the daughter of men’s volleyball head coach Garth Pischke.
Beyond being the namesake of a renowned and decorated volleyball family — standout right-side hitter and brother Dane is currently in his fourth year with the Bisons men’s team, while father Garth has captured nine national championships as head coach over 31 seasons with the university — Taylor is a sought after recruit who has been lured back to Canadian soil after playing one season of NCAA Division I at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“She was one of the top graduating players in Canada last year, and it was a tough recruiting loss,” said women’s head volleyball coach Ken Bentley. “She comes back to an incredible group, most of who have been her teammates for a number of years through the Bison Club Program.”
“(Santa Barbara’s) beach (volleyball) program, which is why I went down there initially, wasn’t going through this year,” said the 18-year-old Pischke. “It was a hard decision for me but I’m really excited to be back now, playing with my former teammates.”
This weekend, Garth Pischke will lead his #2 nationally ranked Bison men against #1 ranked Trinity Western in a possible preview of the 2012 CIS National Championship, while Bentley takes his #5 Bison women up against Trinity’s #7 ranked squad in another match with crucial playoff implications.
Matches go at 6 p.m. (women) and 8 p.m. (men) on both Friday and Saturday night at the Investors Group Athletic Centre at the University of Manitoba.
ChrisD.ca video/Darrin Bauming
