The Trinity Western Spartans men's volleyball team are coming off a season in which they went 20-2 in the Canada West Conference and they were favourites to win the national championship, an event that wasn't played because of the novel coronavirus.
The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds finished just behind Trinity Western this past season when they went 17-5. The Brandon Bobcats finished in fourth place with a record of 13-9. Over in Ontario, the McMaster Marauders went 15-2 as they won the West Division by eight points over the Guelph Storm.
All four of those teams are elite and are highly recognized as championship favourites year after year. J.J. Love of Dauphin had a choice to make as all four schools were very interested in the six-foot-six setter joining their organization after he completes high school.
"It's a pretty big honour knowing that so many great schools were really interested in me," said Love. "I've worked extremely hard over the years and I'm glad that people are recognizing me on the court."
In the end, J.J. has decided to take his talents to the Wheat City as he will join the Brandon University Bobcats in time for the 2021-2022 season.
"Grant Wilson is an incredible coach and I'm really excited to join the Bobcats," said Love. "There is a great young core in Brandon and we're all going to grow together. It's a great atmosphere in the Healthy Living Centre and I honestly couldn't have chosen a better school to attend while playing the game I love."
When it comes to this season, the Bobcats won't hit the court till at least the New Year as the Canada West Conference has suspended all play because of COVID-19. The hope is to resume conference play in September. It was going to be an exciting year for the team as they are set to host nationals in March and the event at this point will still be played.
On top of J.J. joining next year's rookie class, Wilson has also gone out to get the commitment of Riley Brunet from Fort McMurray. Brunet comes in at six-foot-eight.
Back in June, Love was named to the under-19 national team roster and he spent the summer in virtual training sessions and workouts with Team Canada coaches, staff, and players. While the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t allow for in-person training or competition, he’s grateful for the experience and learned a ton. It was the first time that the young man received a nod from the national team.
"It was a great summer. The sessions really showed me a whole different side of volleyball and that's going to benefit me," said Love. "I had the chance to give my body a break and I really dialed in mentally for the upcoming seasons."
Love says one of the biggest things that he's taking away from the summer is that it's never too early to act like a professional. His goal is to ultimately be a pro volleyball player in the future and he's starting to think like one every day, even though he hasn't finished high school yet.
The Clippers varsity team will begin practicing this week; however, no games will be played for the time being with the risk of no season taking place at all. But that's not an excuse that J.J. is using as he knows he has a great opportunity to spend a ton of time in the gym ahead of his freshman season with the Bobcats next fall, one that he hopes he can make an immediate impact.
"Any team that I play on I'm always pushing for excellence, that's how I think," said Love. "I know I have a ton of work ahead of me and I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing against the best in Canada."
J.J. also won't be the first Love to play for the Bobcats. From 2017-2019, Sami Love suited up for the team before she transferred to ACC where she would join the Cougars. She was named a player of the month during her time with BU and she also excelled on the court with ACC.
"She told me how much she enjoyed BU and it's just a great place to be," ended Love. "She also played in front of family and friends and I'm looking forward to that same thing so close to home."
