Mancer cruises to No. 1 on top volleyball list

Liam Mancer expected nothing less of himself.

So when the 17-year-old heard he was voted the top high school volleyball player in the province by a panel of coaches, an obvious sense of elation ensued — Mancer immediately called his mom to tell her the news — but there was also a feeling of validation. Mancer knew he was capable of receiving this distinction all along.

“I definitely did put that pressure on myself, but I tried to keep it as a second-hand thing, and ignore it,” said Mancer, a Grade 12 left side for the St. Paul’s Crusaders.

“The only thing that really matters to me is the team’s success, and then my success is second. So the pressure that I put on myself, I would say I used it in a positive way, and I didn’t really let it affect me negatively. Even if I had a bad game, I realized it happens, and I’m a good player, and I’m gonna bounce back.”

A year ago, Mancer was named an honourable mention on this list. Now he is the best player on the top-ranked team in the province.

The 6-7, 215-pounder will play a key role in the coming days, as he tries to spearhead the Crusaders program to its first provincial championship in a decade. Head coach Dustin Spiring called Mancer one of the hardest workers in the gym, something that is not always the case for someone who possesses immense talent and can get by on their raw ability.

“His raw size obviously helps,” said Spiring. “Honestly, his skill level is what’s underrated, and I’m going to say underappreciated, and I think that’s come full circle this year.

“He’s one of our top passers for us. He’s one of our top defenders. He kind of does a little bit of everything, and he does it with such precision now, in comparison to last year, that I think that he’s just stepped up his game to a whole other level.”

There are several facets that have produced a sensational season for Mancer. His athletic background is certainly one of them.

Mancer grew up playing tennis, squash and badminton — taking after his dad, who played tennis in university and travelled the world to play squash. While Mancer didn’t start volleyball until Grade 9 — his sister and mom have volleyball backgrounds — his history in racket sports has helped him understand angles at a high level, which has provided him a vast arsenal on the attack.

“It’s a very similar arm swing,” said Mancer, whose rackets have stayed in his closet since he fully committed to volleyball. “In tennis, when you serve, it’s like the exact same thing as when you’re hitting a ball, so that definitely helped. And then I think there’s a lot of hand-eye co-ordination that plays into volleyball as well and, in squash, that’s huge, because you have to hit such a small ball.”

Mancer also had a productive summer, as he was one of only two underagers to represent Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland. There, he played with some of the province’s top players, an experience that he feels impacted his development tremendously.

“That did so much. I learned a lot from those guys and the coaches, as well,” he said. “I learned a lot about effort and maturity while playing volleyball, and it was a huge learning experience for me, and I really look up to a lot of those guys.”

And then there is Mancer’s physical maturation. He’s always had exceptional height, but after spending the summer adding muscle to his lanky frame, he returned as a different calibre player. The physical transformation came as he was making a positional change from the right to the left side, which is more natural for a right-hander.

In many ways, Mancer is only scratching the surface. That’s what University of Manitoba Bisons head coach Lupo Ludwig hopes, anyway. Mancer is committed to the Bisons and will suit up for the Herd next fall.

“I remember having him at a camp here at U of M five years ago when he was 13, 14 years old, and he was already over 6-5. He was my height or taller,” said Ludwig, who told Mancer that he would likely translate best to the university level on the left side.

“I think he improved a ton on his passing,” Ludwig said. “His blocking is already pretty solid. His attack is on a very good level. It’s going to be different when you consistently have a really high block against you, so this is definitely where he has to work a lot, and I think skill-wise, he is very good. I think athletically, he will get a little bit better over the years.”

For Spiring, nothing about Mancer’s season is surprising. The teen’s size and work ethic to match were bound to eventually create a dominant player on the court.

“To be honest, I wasn’t caught off guard at all. I expected this out of him. Since he’s been in Grade 10, I’ve seen a little bit of greatness in him, and he’s worked extremely hard over the last couple of years,” said Spiring.

“I really expected this out of him, and he’s lived up to those expectations this year.”

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