Bisons future bright, even without Light

When Raya Surinx returned to the court to prepare for a new season with the University of Manitoba Bisons, something admittedly felt off.

The last time the star outside hitter was on a court in school colours, it was in celebration with many longtime teammates while confetti rained down.

There was a figurative void as a new campaign approached. Three cultural pillars inside the program — outside hitter Light Ucheckukwu, libero Julia Arnold and setter Katreena Bentley — had moved on.

“It was really strange at first, especially because I joined the team late,” said Surinx, who was away with the Canadian NextGen team last month.

Ucheckukwu, Arnold and Bentley were calming presences on the court and leaders away from it. However, it didn’t take long for Surinx to see how bright the future could be, even without those faces that seemed irreplaceable.

“I don’t know what I was expecting joining back, but it’s actually not as different as I thought it would be,” Surinx said. “The first practice, I was like, ‘This is weird,’ I’m looking for them to talk to and be beside, but it’s really interesting how other people have stepped into those roles.”

For the first time in 11 years, the Bisons enter the 2025-26 season as defending U Sports national women’s volleyball champions.

Manitoba, which returns 12 players from last season, is once again a talented bunch with high expectations, but the challenge will perhaps be even steeper than when it won it all a year ago. Also gone are other important depth pieces, such as Chloe Ellerbrock, Julia Horne and Emma Benson.

They will also wear the badge of being the team to beat.

“I embrace it. I think it’s very exciting this year,” said outside hitter Andi Almonte, one of five fifth-year players on the team. “We’ve all kind of known that people are going to be gunning for us this year, that they’re going to be playing their very best when they play us, but we expect nothing less.”

In come 10 first-year players, including seven from the 2025 recruited class, highlighted by Lucy Jürgensen of Norway, who is the first international recruit of head coach Ken Bentley’s career.

It’s possible that some first-year players see valuable minutes this season. Those athletes will need to grow up quickly to maintain the standard of a program that has every intention of going back-to-back.

“The point I made to the team was it’s a privilege to be tasked with defending a national championship, because you can’t defend what you didn’t win in the first place,” said Bentley, who enters his 40th season at the program’s helm.

The challenge, Bentley said, is no different than any other year.

“We’ve got to beat a bunch of really good teams to put ourselves in a position to win again,” he said. “The only advantage we have, I think, is just having walked the path, start to finish, and understanding the pressures and the work it takes. So it’s obviously nice to have some experience in that regard, but I’m trying to treat it — as our team is, I’m hoping — as a brand new year with its own challenges.”

The Bisons open Canada West conference action with a two-game set against the University of British Columbia, beginning Friday at Investors Group Athletic Centre (6 p.m.).

Among the biggest changes to the rotation will be at libero and setter, positions now held by fourth-year Chelsea Siebenga and fifth-year Elia Falcone, respectively.

The transition for Falcone has been more seamless as she enters her third year with the program. The Calgary product stayed in Winnipeg this summer to train, which has bred confidence and comfort between her and her teammates.

“If that’s not a testament to her character, I don’t know what is,” said Surinx. “She’s so team-first and is doing all she can to make this a seamless transition. And her skill, that obviously really helps.”

Meanwhile, Siebenga has transitioned from a hitting position — a jump no one would’ve guessed she’d make when she arrived at the program — but has looked comfortable early on.

“Chelsea and I kind of chuckle all the time that when she came into our program, passing was certainly not her strength,” said Bentley. “But she’s improved tremendously with her passing and just her court play and her presence. She’s just such a big personality, and I think you need that to play that position.”

The unquestioned leader on the court remains Surinx, who is fresh off another busy summer away from university.

The back-to-back U SPORTS Player of the Year travelled with the Canadian Senior National Program to Volleyball Nations League events in Ottawa, Turkey and Texas in the first half of summer. In the second half, she resumed play with the Canadian NextGen team, making three trips to Mexico.

A year ago, Surinx felt burnt out after a similarly busy summer and missed the first two matches of the Bisons’ season.

This year is a different story. She enjoyed a few breaks in between her travels and was given some time to recharge when she returned home last month.

“I feel so much better than I did last year,” said Surinx. “Ken kind of let me take the reins, and he worked with me so we could decide what was best in terms of coming back. I don’t know what was different, I just feel more ready this year.”

Words that the rest of the Canada West conference will not take lightly.

“I think she came back in a much better state this year,” Bentley said. “She looked better, sounded better — we gave her a good chunk of time, and she came back, and you can see her eyes are bright and she’s ready to go.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam