Manitobans crucial to Canada’s success

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This article was published 12/07/2024 (422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Eric Loeppky and Luke Herr will be Olympic rookies in Paris but their roles on Canada’s men’s volleyball team couldn’t be more crucial.

Herr, a 29-year-old Winnipegger, is the team’s starting setter while the 25-year-old Loeppky, a Steinbach product, will be a focal point of attack as one of the world’s top left sides as ninth-ranked Canada chases a medal in France.

Loeppky credits the influence of coach Tuomas Sammelvuo, hired in 2023 to replace Ben Josephson, as a key factor in Canada’s recent rise.

The 48-year-old Finn represented his country at a high level and guided Russia to a silver medal at the 2021 Olympics.

“He was an amazing player and he’s an amazing coach,” said Loeppky earlier this week as Team Canada made final preparations in Gatineau, Que., before departing for Europe. “He pushes us a lot and I think he really made us believe and find our groove with this group, which has been really cool.

“In my eyes, he’s like a military general. He’s just runs a pretty tight ship. He asks a lot from us, but I think he really just brought the best out of us.”

Loeppky’s optimism is understandable.

The Canadians beat a number of highly ranked teams to qualify at a FIVB Olympic Qualification Tournament last fall and more recently, finished fifth in the brutally tough Volleyball Nations League.

“We qualified, which by ranking points we weren’t actually supposed to do,” said Loeppky. “So that in itself, I think, was pretty incredible. To actually be going into Games is really kind of (due to) what happened after he came on. And we had a really good finish in VNL, Canada’s second best result ever.”

Canadian hopes have risen with the play of Herr, a late bloomer who was a member of the national B team until last year and plays professionally for AONS Milon in Greece.

“It’s been cool to watch Luke this year just kind of embrace his role a little bit more,” said Loeppky. “I see it as a progression. Skill and ability is kind of what gets you there and then your confidence and swagger kind of develops. That’s kind of the last thing and I think he’s starting to develop that this year.”

Loeppky’s ascent in the volleyball world has been even more dramatic.

In 2021, he was one of two players cut when Team Canada went from 14 to 12 players prior to the Olympics. This spring, he led Vero Volley Monza to a second-place finish in Italy’s SuperLega, widely regarded as the top professional league in the world.

Most recently, Loeppky’s contract was bought out and he signed a two-year deal with Cucine Lube Civitanova, Italy’s most prestigious team.

“It’s a historic club,” said Loeppky. “It’s one of the clubs that I’ve dreamt of playing for my whole life really. When I knew what professional volleyball was, they were one of the first teams that I ever watched and so to get a chance to play for them next year is something pretty pretty special for me.”

Patellar tendonitis, otherwise known as jumper’s knee, is an occupational hazard for Loeppky but the best players in Italy are handsomely compensated, some earning six-figure salaries.

“If it keeps going well, I’d like to play until I’m around 34, 35,” said Loeppky. “That would be great for me. I think physically if I keep going, that’s gonna be it, it’s gonna be pretty possible but we’ll see. You never know what can happen. How long I play for the national team is another question because we don’t really make too much money playing national team…

“I think the pro side, the longer life goes on the more I’m inclined to choose that over national team is because of the money.”

Sammelvuo recognizes Loeppky’s skills as a hitter but appreciates his prowess as a spin server.

“His service for our team has been very, very important and that’s why often we have him as a first server when we start to play and (as an) attacking player he is an important player for our team… But there’s in Eric still so much room for improvement in reception and blocking.”

Sammelvuo’s vast experience includes a previous stint coaching the Finnish national team from 2013-19. During the professional club season from September to May, he currently leads Asseco Resovia of the Polish PlusLiga.

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He has developed an appreciation for Canadian players.

“As a coach, when you can be tough you can be honest,” said Sammelvuo. “You can push the players and they go on. The Canadian team, to be honest, is an easy thing to coach. No big fights of egos. Guys are really willing to work. Intelligent people. In a way it’s a little bit like Finland — people are very nice and and good with each other.”

Sammelvuo isn’t interested in handicapping Canada’s chances of reaching the podium. In Paris, Canada plays in a very competitive pool, which also includes No. 4-ranked France, No. 5 Slovenia and No. 10 Serbia.

“Very simply, we have to improve certain aspects to our game,” he said. “And first of all, if we start to think about medals or playoffs or something — no, no, no, it’s not the case. We have to focus on our pool and compared to the other teams, what we have to do is do better than what we have done in VNL.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca