Blazers MVB Bring the Heat with Addition of Spicer
The CMU Men's Volleyball program is very pleased to announce the commitment of Austin Spicer for the 2024-25 MCAC season. The Sanford Collegiate and 204 Volleyball Club product could be a diamond in the rough out of rural Manitoba as he is just beginning to tap his potential on the hardcourt.
Known more for his hits on the ice than on the volleyball court, Spicer suited up for his Sanford Collegiate Sabres hockey, basketball, badminton, and beach volleyball teams in addition to their volleyball squad, and also for the MacDonald Yankees in AA baseball in the summer. The multisport athlete captained his high school volleyball team, where he played both left side and middle, but has gained more personal accolades through his high school and club hockey career. He has been part of the Sabres hockey leadership core for some time, and was selected to the Winnipeg High School Hockey League All-Star game as Sanford's leading scorer and MVP. Sanford's Athlete of the year in 2022, Spicer hopes to repeat in 2024 as he finishes up his high school studies and looks ahead to college, aided by the Travis Price Award, a scholarship he received through the WHSHL.
In his first year of club volleyball, Spicer has joined a 204 team that recently finished fourth at the Volleyball Manitoba Club Provincials, and will head West to Edmonton for the Volleyball Canada Youth Nationals later this month. With 204 he has factored more on the right side, with occasional appearances at left side and middle, but regardless of where he slots in every game he plays he gains valuable experience playing on the big provincial and national stages. Drawing on his club hockey experience, Spicer has also played big-time games across Canada and North America, having played AAA hockey here in Manitoba and at tournaments and showcases in Montreal, Chicago, and Toronto amongst other big hockey destinations.
At a modest 6'4" Spicer certainly has the length to play anywhere along the net, and Blazers head coach Don Dulder likes the versatility and size he will bring to the roster this coming season, stating "Austin comes to our program with a huge upside, and as a very versatile player who can play middle, right side, or left side. He is tall and very athletic, and it seems he is just tapping into his potential on the volleyball court. I feel with exposure to college ball and training at the university level he can be an extremely good player in our league, and a big asset on our team." Dulder and the Blazers will also be getting a top-calibre character guy who has spent many volunteer hours over the year with organizations such as Koats for Kids, Habitat for Humanity, Siloam Mission, Ronald McDonald House, and Sanford Hockey Academy to help in the community and develop his leadership qualities.
Familiar with many of the other new faces on the CMU Men's Volleyball squad, Spicer joins 204 teammate Adrian Deer with the Blazers, and is looking for redemption against the Pilots this upcoming season, as their 204 squad were narrowly edged by Pilots Club Volleyball at the provincial championships. He is starting his post-secondary education with general studies as he hopes to balance academics with time on the court while continuing to play some hockey for the 2024-25 season.
Following a seventh-consecutive MCAC Finals appearance this February, the Blazers will once again look to make an appearance on the national stage next season when the CCAA Men's Volleyball Nationals are held here in Manitoba, hosted by the Providence Pilots. For the first time in CCAA history, two teams from Manitoba will make the championships in a bid to increase the middle province's visibility on the national stage and show why Manitoba is still a hot bed of top talent in the country. The CCAA is the national body for collegiate athletics in Canada, offering 10 national championships in seven sports. Now finished its third full year of participation, the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference joins five other established CCAA conferences; PacWest (BC), ACAC (Alberta-Sask), OCAA (Ontario), RSEQ (Quebec) and ACAA (Atlantic).
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