Men’s volleyball rookie proving to be a key player for the Wesmen

Matt Schriemer began playing volleyball in Grade 8.

When the Wesmen Men’s Volleyball squad announced last March that Matt Schriemer had committed to the team, head coach Larry McKay had high hopes for their new recruit for the 2009-2010 season.

The Miles Macdonell 2009 graduate played for McKay from 2007 to 2009 with the club program, STRIKE.

“Matt Schriemer has improved over the past two years to be a top right-side player,” McKay said at the time. “He has good size, is left-handed and has tremendous enthusiasm for volleyball.”

Now, with playoffs just around the corner, Schriemer has proven McKay correct and is a consistent force on the team.

Schriemer began playing volleyball in Grade 8 at Calvin Christian School. During Grade 8 and Grade 9, Schriemer also played for the club program, WinMan. He said he was originally “all about basketball,” but as his volleyball skills came to surpass his basketball skills, Schriemer found a love for volleyball.

In high school, Schriemer played in the under-21 championships in Charlottetown, P.E.I. He also participated in the under-18 National Championships last May when playing for STRIKE, and was named to the All-Star Team.

Schriemer had many good experiences with STRIKE and the provincial teams, but his favourite volleyball memory was demolishing Dakota Collegiate in three sets in 2008, to claim the AAAA Championship.

When it came to make a decision about his future, Schriemer said he knew he wanted to come to U of W.

“There is a good coaching staff and it was at home, which is nice,” he said.

Not only did he already have a good relationship with McKay, but he had also played with Wesmen teammates Devin Schmidt, Jaye Burnett and Kenny McKenzie on past teams. Schriemer said this made the transition from high school to university easier.

Schriemer is enjoying the season and is looking forward to helping the team make some noise in playoffs next month.

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