Markus Martens: January's Zueike Male Athlete of the Month
Martens analyzes the opposition in their most recent home win over the Pilots
Congratulations to Markus Martens of Blazers Men's Volleyball on being selected the CMU Zueike Male Athlete of the Month for January. The fifth-year middle has been a dominant force in the MCAC for some time now, and his consistent play helped lead the team to take wins against each of their conference opponents this month.
A true coaches' player, Martens takes his craft seriously, always willing to adjust and improve, and has seen his star rising in the MCAC since he entered the league in 2021. The rural Saskatchewan product is a workhorse by nature, starting in more matches than any other Blazers men's volleyball player since his debut for the 2021/22 season, in which he featured for CMU in the MCAC's first appearance at a CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championships. His rise to dominance in the middle was finally recognized during the 2023/24 season when he was named to the MCAC All-Conference team, and later received the Academic All Canadian award, showcasing his talents in the classroom to go along with his work ethic on the court and in the fitness centre.
Martens currently sits second in the MCAC in both total blocks, as well as block assists, third in blocks per set, and fourth in solo blocks, alluding to the defensive prowess the athletic middle provides for the team. Between his Blazers peers, Martens owns the highest kill efficiency rate amongst attackers having played in at least half the matches, and unsurprisingly leads the team in all blocking statistical categories.
In a league often dominated by outside hitters, Martens put up some gaudy numbers in January, twice hitting double-digits in kills. On January 23 Martens was named MCAC Player of the Game for CMU in the team's loss to Providence after leading all Blazers in kills, blocks, and points scored, and then helped rally the squad to a 3-2 win the following day putting up 11 kills and 7 total blocks, powering him to earn his first MCAC Athlete of the Week nod of the season following the weekend's action. This past weekend Martens once again showed his impact, putting up an unheard of 13 kills, adding 5 digs and 3 blocks in CMU's huge win over the nationally-ranked Cougars to salvage a weekend split with the top team in the conference.
"This recognition well-deserved," notes first-year head coach Jack Tyrrell. "Markus is a quiet leader who lets his work speak for itself. He has consistently honed his craft, put in the work every single day, and done whatever the team needed. We have leaned on Markus a lot during his time here and it's about time he got his flowers."
Martens has not normally been considered the 'face of the franchise' for Blazers Men's Volleyball, but he and his teammates face a tough challenge ahead as they look to close out their season with the rights to host a home playoff match still very much on the line. The top seed after the regular season gets a bye and the right to host the final best-of-three series against the winner of the single-game second vs third semi hosted by the team with the second best record in the conference. With the race for playoff positioning as tight as ever, the team is looking for any edge they can gain in the quest for an MCAC Title and berth at the CCAA Nationals in Edmonton, AB on March 11-14.
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