Local volleyball stars heading to Europe

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This article was published 15/08/2023 (1121 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Wesmen volleyball program has had a lot to celebrate in recent days.

It was announced late last week that two of the university’s most dominant players in the past decade — Emma Parker and Daniel Thiessen — have signed professional contracts overseas.

Parker will play her rookie season this fall in Spain’s second division women’s league for Algar Voleibol. The outside hitter capped off her U Sports career last year by being named the U of W’s top female athlete for a second time.

Thiessen, a right side who broke the Wesmen record for most career kills in the Canada West-era in his senior year in 2021-22, played last season in Finland but is now on the move to the top league in the Czech Republic for Volejbal Brno.

Then on Monday, Volleyball Canada revealed their men’s roster for the NORCECA men’s Pan-American Cup that started Tuesday in Guadalajara, Mexico. Former Wesmen setter Darian Picklyk and soon-to-be fourth-year UWinnipeg attacker Liam Kristjanson were two of the names selected to the squad.

Picklyk was named to the all-Canada West second-team in 2022-23 as he led the nation in digs and digs per set. Kristjanson is coming off a year where he was second on the Wesmen in kills and first in service aces.

“Yeah, it’s super cool. It’s amazing to look back on all the days and all the hours we spent in the gym together. Obviously with Darian and Liam, we had a lot of fun on the court and we really would push each other in practice, too,” Thiessen said in a phone interview from the Czech Republic.

“The three of us are all competitive guys and sometimes we’d get under each other’s skin. But after practice you get back in the locker room and you just laugh about it. And then Emma, it was really fun watching her play… Some games you’d walk in the gym and you’d look at the scoreboard for stats and she’d have like 20 kills and 20 digs and it’d be like ‘Oh, another average night for Emma.’ So, it’s no surprise she found herself a contract.”

The Wesmen were a mess when Parker, a St. Adolphe product, first arrived on campus in 2017. They won just one game that season, but with Parker leading the charge, and with Phil Hudson taking over as head coach in 2019, the program slowly got better and better year after year. The 2022-23 campaign was when it all came together as they went 20-11 and made it to the Canada West semifinals before falling to Trinity Western.

Last December Parker became just the third player in conference history to record 1,000 career kills and digs.

She was open to playing anywhere, and when her agent presented the offer from Spain, she signed right away.

“I didn’t really have a preference. I didn’t care where I went. I just wanted the opportunity to go anywhere and play. I had a few offers after that, but I was just excited with the Spain offer so I didn’t change anything,” said Parker.

“I’m excited to just get out there and experience what it’s like, and see what the dynamic is like and what the culture is out there. I think I’d like to continue on with it for the next couple years and if I like it I’ll keep going. If not, I always have Winnipeg to come back to and I’ll finish my (education) degree and get teaching, but I would like to take this as far and as long as I can.”

Thiessen has a bit of an idea as what to expect as another former Wesmen, Casey Schouten, has been playing in Czechia for the past few seasons. Schouten and VK Lvi Praha won the league title last year. Thiessen was a freshman when Schouten was in his final year at the downtown Winnipeg school.

“It was kind of nice to be able to pick his brain coming into this league,” said Thiessen. “I know the level of play is a little higher than what I was used to in Finland. My team started practice 10 days ago now. I’m getting to know the guys and the coaches and so far everything’s good. They’re really focused on our development as players.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31