Wings crowned provincial volleyball champs

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This article was published 14/12/2021 (1390 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The last time the Westgate Mennonite Collegiate Wings AAAA varsity boys volleyball team was crowned the provincial champions was in 1978. Now, 43 years later, the nephew of one of those players has helped bring home that title once more.

Rowan Krahn is following in the steps of his uncle, Rob Krahn, as the Wings’ left side hitter.
“It’s cool to carry that on,” Krahn said. “That was an extra special thing for me.”

The Wings recently defeated the Vincent Massey Trojans (25-22, 25-23, 25-21) to snag the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association title.

The Wings outplayed the Steinbach Regional Sabres (21-25, 25-11, 25-15, 25-22) during the semifinals earlier in the day at Sturgeon Heights Collegiate.

“When I woke up on the morning of the semi, I was just pumped to get in the gym,” Sam Ludwig, the Wings’ setter said. “I couldn’t wait to play.”

These wins capped off a spotless season in which the team went undefeated for all 10 of its regular-season games, beginning in early October. Despite enduring zero losses, Krahn, Ludwig and their fellow Grade 12 teammate Nolan Gawne took each game as seriously as the next.

“We had the expectation that we were already undefeated,” Gawne, a libero, said. “I think there was pressure there on us.”

The Sabres were the Wings’ toughest competition this year, the boys agreed.

“It was always really good games,” Krahn said. “We just had that little edge above them.”

Head coach Maiya Westwood graduated from Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute in 2015. There, she played on the school’s volleyball team before moving on to play ball for the Memorial University Seahawks in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The boys’ victory was a welcome accomplishment during what has been a particularly tumultuous couple of years on and off the court owing to the pandemic, Westwood said.

“I’m super proud of them,” she said. “They worked so hard. They were all there giving it their all every practice. They didn’t take any games lightly.”

The Wings committed to three practices and two games per week throughout the regular season. The first couple of practices were choppy, Westwood said. But the team shaped up fast. The Wings’ consistency when it came to passing and defence contributed to its success, Westwood said.  

“It all starts from there,” she said.

The Wings’ success was born from hours spent chipping away at the fundamentals of the sport, Krahn explained. “We can’t get those big flashy hits without getting that perfect pass,” he said. “It really paid off.”

Westwood describes the players’ connection to each other and the sport in general as one that runs deep.

All nine of the team’s athletes had previously played school and club volleyball. Ludwig and Gawne played with WinMan Volleyball Club from 13U to 15U, before joining the ranks of the Junior Bisons Volleyball Club. Krahn represented the 204 Volleyball Club from 14U to 17U.

Many schoolmates have praised the players on their work this season, Ludwig said — even individuals who he doesn’t know.

“It was a huge win for us, but it was a win for everyone else,” Krahn said. “Everyone’s celebrating it with us.”

Gawne and Krahn were named tournament all stars and Ludwig was recognized as the competition’s most valuable player. Ludwig and Krahn will play for the Manitoba Bisons volleyball team next year, and Gawne’s hasn’t decided whether he’ll continue in the sport after high school.