Broncos Men’s Volleyball Attend 2025 Championship

The championship was hosted by Lakeland College in Lloydminster, Alta., from Feb. 20-22. The Broncos travelled to Lloydminster on Feb. 18 to begin their playoff run. Teams were given a practice slot Wednesday before the championship banquet that evening, where Broncos fifth-year outside hitter Matheus Franca was named an All-Conference All Star. He recorded 18 service aces, 97 digs, 26 solo blocks and 225 kills this season.

The Broncos first game on Thursday was a tough one as they had to face the host team, the Lakeland Rustlers, who finished second in the North division. The crowd was packed and a tough full five set match began. 

Battling back and forth for every point in the first set, the Broncos had 23 total attacks and 12 kills. However, they were just shy of taking the set with a final score of 26-24. In  similar fashion, the second set saw both teams fighting for every point, with Lakeland taking it 26-24. 

With all the pressure on them, the Broncos rallied as a team and won the third set 25-21. This pattern continued, and despite a gymnasium full of opposing fans, the Broncos dominated  the fourth set as well with 16 total attacks, nine kills and a 25-17 finish. With the game tied 2-2, energy was high going into the final set, but an over-ruled call by the official caused the Broncos to lose their momentum. Lakeland fought back and won the final set 15-6 to take the match 3-2, eliminating the Broncos from a final spot in the top four. 

“Losing that quarter final to Lakeland was so disheartening for our squad,” said Head Coach Ryan Marsden. “We wanted that game more than anything. Unfortunately, we came up 2 points short in 2 of the games which would have seen us win. This is something that we battled with all year and just couldn't quite fix it by the end.” 

Despite a hard loss on Thursday, the Broncos still had a playoff run to finish. On Friday, they played for the chance to make it into the 5th place game on Saturday. This matchup was against the Augustana Vikings who finished fourth place in the North in the regular season. The Broncos started strong and with high energy, they won the first set 25-19. However, they fell short in the next three sets and lost the game overall, ending their 2025 playoff run. 

Although they did not medal in this year's playoffs, the Olds College Broncos community is incredibly proud of this group for their continued improvements. Despite the results, there were stand out performances from multiple players that show the strength of the men’s volleyball program. 

On Thursday night, outside hitter Matheus Franca brought the energy with 16 kills from 28 total attacks and was awarded Player of the Game. On Friday, Sean Vandaerzee earned Player of the Game with 39 assists, three kills and six digs as a setter. Other standout performances came from players who will not be returning. Strahinja Lazarevic (a.k.a. Laza) was a leader throughout the weekend with his resilience on the court, and Aidyn Phillips, who sprained his ankle during Thursday night’s game, pushed through to play on Friday with more total kills. 

“We lose some extremely critical players,” said Coach Marsden, “Ones that have been here since the early years, where we had to work so hard to gain respect around the league. They helped us build something here that they can be so proud of. We are going to miss Matheus Franca, Aidyn Phillips, Ben Atwood, Ben Gammel and Strahinja Lazarevic so much, but we are lucky to have had them. They leave us with the program in a much better place.”

Although they are saying farewell to a core group of players, the program will continue to grow from the mark players have left on the team and the future is bright for Broncos men’s volleyball.

“Lessons have been taught and learned, and the program will be ready for that next crucial step... maybe as soon as next year,” says Coach Marsden. “Some key pieces are coming back next year, more determined to win that quarter final game. Sean Vanderzee will be back for his fourth year, Nic Hill, Carter Sinclair, Jackson Hawkswell and Victor Reis for their third years. Then we have our great second years that made an immediate impact on the program. Coaches have been busy and have already recruited five players that will add to the important culture that we have built here. The Broncos will be back strong again... looking for a different result!”

Congratulations to our Broncos men’s volleyball team. Your hard work all season led you to the playoffs once again! Looking into the future, there are many changes to come. We will be cheering you on next year and can’t wait to see where the future leads!