Words | Mark Janzen

Jesse Elser's story is part of the third edition of the SPARTA magazine.

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They call him The Unicorn – for good reason. 

"There's never been one before and it's going to be hard to find one again," says Trinity Western men's volleyball coach Ben Josephson. "Guys his size don't play like him. They don't move like him and they're not as skilled as him. He's the tallest player on the roster and the most skilled and coordinated player on the roster – that's why he's The Unicorn. 

"He's one of a kind – as a human and a player."

The product of Calgary –  who is in fifth year at TWU, but due to an injury and the pandemic is only in his third year of eligibility – is the type of guy who, if you accidentally leave the trunk of your vehicle wide open in the school parking lot, will seek you out, tell you about it and then, seeing that you're kind of busy, will offer to take your keys to go close the trunk and lock the car for you. 

He's the type of guy who brings you a piece of cake to your courtside work station because it's your birthday.

He's the guy who planned to take every single one of his teammates out for coffee individually over the course of the fall semester, so he could connect in a more intentional manner. 

He's also a 6-foot-8 left side who is one of the best university players in Canada coming off of yet another summer where he represented his country – doing so at both the 2021 NORCECA Championship and, with TWU, at the 2021 Pan-American Cup. 

He's battled through significant back issues and come out the other side as good or better than anyone ever expected and when he's on the court, his compete level – while accompanied with a grin – is dialed to the max. 

"He's such a sensitive and caring person and teammate," Josephson says. "But don't kid yourself. He's going to win every point he can get his hands out and then he'll befriend you and take you out for coffee."

They call it The Pit. It's the basement in Elser's childhood home where he and his two brothers – Mathias and Aaron, who are both now with the Spartans men's volleyball team as well – would play and compete as youngsters.

Their dad, Tom Elser, who played professional volleyball in Italy and also represented Canada internationally, installed chicken wire in front of the windows, tucked pot lights into the ceiling and hung a thick drape against one of the walls to soften the impact of balls. There was a trapeze bar and two sets of rings. There were mats and, of course, every type of sports ball. It was here where Elser and his brothers honed their athleticism. 

"The Pit was our entertainment," says Jesse, whose family only purchased a television in the past few years so they could watch their boys play volleyball. "We touched a lot of volleyballs in The Pit. Then, more often than not, it evolved into wrestling or fighting."

With volleyball in his blood – not only did his dad play professionally, but Elser's mom, Christiane Martin, also played volleyball, suiting up for UBC in the mid-1980's – Elser was never far from a set, dig or spike.

"It was always just our sport of choice," Elser says. 

There were no parameters in which a quick pick-up game didn't seem like an appropriate choice. 

"We'd play volleyball in our rain boots."

By the time he was in Grade 10, Elser was very much on the national radar. He led his Canuck Dino 17U team to a national title in 2015 and was named the tournament MVP. The following summer, in 2016, he won another national title – this time it was at the U18 beach championships, with partner Max Elgert. 

In his Grade 12 year, he moved to Gatineau, Que. to spend a season training at the Volleyball Canada Full-Time Training Centre (fun fact: while he was there, he lived with TWU men's volleyball alum Tyler Koslowsky and trained alongside both Koslowsky and now Spartans assistant coach Jordan Or). Then, in the summer of 2017, Elser made Canada's national junior team prior to coming to TWU that fall. In first year as a Spartan, 2017-18, he quickly showed his value at the university level, as he was named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team. 

Everything seemed to be going as planned. 

However, a day after winning the Canada West championship on home court in his rookie year – Elser had 10 kills ofr TWU in a four-set win over Alberta – his back started giving him issues. 

"Suddenly, I was having trouble standing up," Elser recalls. 

He found a way to play through the national tournament, but upon returning to TWU, he couldn't walk without a limp. 

"Every time I'd step, it'd shoot pain down my leg," says Elser, who soon learned he had two bulging disks, which were pushing into his spinal cord and into his nerves. "I lived in pain. I couldn't put my socks on."

Upon returning to TWU in the fall of 2018, it wasn't getting better.  

"Everything hurt. Coughing and sneezing would hurt. And it also wasn't a good time for me mentally. I couldn't do the thing I loved. I wasn't getting invited to stuff. School was tough. I didn't love my classes. I was lonely. I spent most of my time in bed. I'd do homework in bed. I'd eat in bed. I think the mental pain was arguably worse than the actual pain. 

"I was depressed. I was."

The star volleyball player's bright future suddenly appeared to dim. While a late-fall surgery date was on the docket, even that didn't provide a guarantee he would return to the Elser of old. There was even a chance he'd never play volleyball again.

Within those dark moments, he sought support.  

"A counsellor at TWU really helped me figure out what I enjoyed. She encouraged me to go to practice for just 15 minutes. I missed the human interaction. So, I'd go to practice for 15 minutes to say 'Hi' to everyone and then leave."

He also discovered his passion for teaching children. 

At the time, Elser was studying communications, but after conversations with his counsellor, he switched his major to Education. 

"I realized that teaching brought me the same joys as volleyball – like teamwork and problem-solving and human interaction." 

In mid-November of 2018, he finally had surgery and, soon enough, he began rehab. A weight was lifted off his shoulders. 

He remembers the first day he could put socks on by himself. He didn't have to wear Birkenstocks.

"I still probably wore Birks, but I didn't have to," he says with a laugh. "I remember the first time I touched my toes and the first time I rode in a car without having to stretch."

That summer, in 2019, he made the national junior team as a libero – a 6-foot-8 libero. His jumps were still very limited, but his effectiveness as a passer was enough to earn him a spot with Canada for the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Men's U21 World Championship.

"That year, we saw the kind of drive he has to be special," Josephson says. "You don't know if a kid has it until you see it. Over the course of that injury and his response since – that's what grit is all about. That guy is as tough as it comes."

That fall, he was back at TWU competing on the left side. But it still took him time to find his way back.
 
"When I came back in September (2019), I was still on a jump count and I was pretty discouraged. Teammates Brodie (Hofer) and Eric (Loeppky) were just so good and I wasn't there yet."

After splitting time with Hofer throughout the season, he finally returned to form in a road weekend against UBC.

The Thunderbirds felt the effect of Elser at full strength.

On the verge of a two-match weekend sweep for TWU, the Spartans Derek Epp set Elser on the left side for the match-winning point. Elser took flight and smashed the ball inside the attack line. 

"That's when I finally felt that I was back."

Indeed, he was. 

That was two years ago.  

In 2019-20, after winning the conference title on home court for the fourth time in five years, the national championship tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19. 

While still disappointing, Elser had a unique perspective. 

"I think when nationals got cancelled, I wasn't as bummed as some other people because I was just so happy to be playing and putting on the jersey."

He was appreciating the little moments he had missed so much. 

After a year of the Spartans training behind the curtain in the cancelled 2020-21 season, Elser and the Spartans have returned to the court fine form. The Spartans enter this weekend against UBC with an 8-0 record in the regular season and 17-0 against Canada West competition overall, with Elser ready to build on a fall semester that included a 16-kill weekend in a pair of wins over the Thunderbirds.

"Now, I'm the strongest I've ever been," Elser says. "I'm more motivated than ever."

He's motivated to play and motivated to be a great teammate. 

After wearing No. 3 since his first day as a Spartan, Elser was given the No. 11 this year, which is an honour within the TWU men's volleyball program bestowed on only a few players. In 2003, former Spartan men's volleyball player Jason Senechel passed unexpectedly during a beach volleyball tournament. He wore No. 11 for TWU and he epitomized what it means to be a Spartan and what it looks like to be an inspirational leader with a servant heart and a caring attitude. 

This is Elser. 

"There's not a phase in his life where he's not incredibly intentional," Josephson says. "There's not a phase in his life where he doesn't want to be truly special. He's a world-class human and he happens to be a world-class volleyball player."

Put it this way, after he retires from volleyball, Elser hopes to be a teacher in a children's hospital. 

That's just Elser. 

"Character shows up over time," Josephson says. "When you're a good human, you're a good human all the time. For Jesse, it's not necessarily one big thing, but it's 100 little things that add up to who he is."

But before all that, he just wants to play again and win a national championship for TWU.

"I really want to get a ring of my own," says Elser, who was injured for the 2018-19 national championship season and, due to the pandemic, hasn't had a chance to win one since. "It's been a long time coming. I just want to play so bad."

At the end of a recent conversation, Josephson is asked how to best encapsulate Elser. He pauses for a long second. 

"I love being with my kids, but if I can't be with my kids, it's kids like Jesse who make leaving home worth it. He does it with a gentle spirit and a smile on his face, but on the court, he will destroy you if he gets the chance." 

About TWU
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.
 
The views expressed by our student-athletes and our alumni are their own. We appreciate varying individual views within Spartan Athletics. 

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