LANGLEY, B.C. – Four Trinity Western Spartans have been named conference all-stars following another tremendous regular season in program history.
Leading the charge on the first all-star team were Spartans
Derek Epp (Winnipeg) and Eric Loepkky (Steinbach, Man.), while fellow Spartans
Pearson Eshenko (Banff, Alta.) was named to the second team and
Mathias Elser (Calgary) named to the all-rookie team.
It is the third consecutive season Loeppky has been named a conference first team all-star, after honors in 2017-18 and 2018-19. His season was one to remember, as Loeppky led Canada West in hitting percentage (.443) and ranked second in kills-per set (3.89). He was also named to the conference all-rookie team in 2016-17.
Joining Loeppky on the men's first team is Spartans setter
Derek Epp, who also played a vital role this season for top-ranked TWU. Now in his third-year with Trinity Western, Epp led the entire conference in assists-per set, averaging 10.29. It is the first time Epp has been named to a conference all-star team.
Spartans middle
Pearson Eshenko was named to the second team following another impressive season for TWU. The fifth-year averaged a conference-high 1.42 blocks-per set this season, and ranked second in total blocks, with 95.
Rounding out the Spartans honoured is first-year
Mathias Elser, whose season netted him conference all-rookie honours. It is the fourth consecutive season TWU has had a member of the all-rookie team, as Elser joins Loeppky (2016-17), his brother
Jesse Elser (2017-18),
Jackson Howe (2017-18) and
Brodie Hofer (2018-19).
The No. 1-ranked Spartans continue the conference playoffs this Thursday (8 p.m. PT), as they host the Brandon Bobcats in the semifinals at the Langley Events Centre in a rematch of last years' national and conference championship games.
CW MEN'S VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFF CENTRAL
You can watch every game on the road to the CW Volleyball Championship Games by tuning into
Canada West TV Presented by Co-op.
CANADA WEST FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS
POSITION / NAME / UNIVERSITY / YEAR / PROGRAM / HOMETOWN
S / Max Elgert / Alberta / 4 / Engineering / Athabasca, AB
S / Derek Epp / Trinity Western / 3 / Human Kinetics / Saskatoon, SK
OH / Jackson Kennedy / Alberta / 3 / Kin., Sport, & Rec. / Edmonton, AB
OH / Eric Loeppky / Trinity Western / 4 / Education / Steinbach, MB
OH / Matthew Neaves / UBC / 2 / Business / Calgary, AB
OH / Daniel Thiessen / Winnipeg / 4 / Econ. & Finance / Winnipeg, MB
OH / Elliott Viles / Brandon / 4 / Business Admin. / Adelaide, Australia
CANADA WEST SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS
OH / Reece Dixon / Brandon / 5 / Science / Sherwood Park, AB
OH / Michael Dowhaniuk / UBC / 2 / Applied Science / Surrey, BC
M / Pearce Eshenko / Trinity Western / 5 / Human Kinetics / Banff, AB
OH / Mac McNicol / Calgary / 5 / Open Studies / Calgary, AB
OH / Trent Mounter / Mount Royal / 5 / Business / Perth, Australia
M & OH / Daulton Sinoski / Saskatchewan / 5 / Education / Prince Albert, SK
OH / Max Vriend / MacEwan / 5 / Commerce / Barrhead, AB
CANADA WEST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
OH / Nimo Benne / Thompson Rivers / Computing Science / Castricum, Netherlands
OH / Chris Byam / Mount Royal / Health & Phys. Ed. / Bow Island, AB
S / Mathias Elser / Trinity Western / Business / Calgary, AB
M / Billy Johnstone / Alberta / Kin., Sport, & Rec. / Gisborne, New Zealand
M / Darian Koskie / Manitoba / Arts / Winnipeg, MB
OH / Liam Kristjanson / Winnipeg / Applied Computer Science / Oak River, MB
OH & L / Jens Watt / Brandon / Science / Lethbridge, AB
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey and as an independent team in men's rugby. The men's and women's hockey programs will begin playing in Canada West and U SPORTS in 2020-21. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 27 Canada West team championships and two BCIHL championships.
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