The
men's volleyball team (2008-09: 4-14 regular season and 2009-10 season: 5-4) completed the 2008-09 regular season and did not qualify for the post-season. They battled with several teams for the final playoff spot and missed the playoffs on the second last weekend of the conference regular season. Bison men's volleyball head coach
Garth Pischke, in his 28th season at the helm of the Bisons, had never missed a post-season as head coach at Manitoba.
Manitoba won a match against two teams (Winnipeg and Brandon) that made the 2009 CIS Championship. The Herd had a young squad, with at times as many as four rookies as starters on the court during the 2008-09 season. They battled hard but lost three matches in tight five set results.
Individually, Bison first year left side hitter Chris Voth was selected as CIS Men's Volleyball Rookie of the Year for the 2008-09 campaign. Along with this honour, Voth was also named to the CIS All-Rookie Team. Voth had already been named Canada West Rookie of the Year. Voth is the third Bison to earn CIS Rookie of the Year (Dan Lewis, 1995-96; Trevor Dmitruk, 1991-92).
In the 2008-09 season, Voth was one of four rookies who started for the Manitoba Bisons men's volleyball team. Despite the team missing the Canada West playoffs, in his first Canada West season, Voth was ranked ninth in conference kills with 3.00 per game (68g/204k) and tenth in conference points at 3.35 per game. In addition to his conference rankings, the left side hitter led the team by playing in every set during the season, first on the squad with 94 digs, tied for second with ten service aces and sixth with 23 total blocks.
Voth has had an amazing 2008-09 season, with numerous awards and accolades through the last 12 months. Voth was named to his first National Junior squad in his young career (he made the Youth squad in 2006). He was named by Sport Manitoba as 2008 Manitoba Male Junior Athlete of the Year on May 21/09 and later on June 7/09, he was honoured by receiving the Mark Tennant Award Winner, which is presented annually to the outstanding Manitoba Under-20 Male Volleyball Player of the Year at the Manitoba Volleyball Association's annual award banquet.
Head coach Garth Pischke, in his 29th season at the helm of the Bisons, was honoured with a couple of awards during the year. Pischke was a recipient of the 2009 Royal Canadian Legion Sports Foundation's C.A.P. (Coach, Athlete and Performer) award which honours an individual for outstanding service in the roles of coach, athlete and promoter of a selected sport; in this case the sport of volleyball.
In addition, Pischke was also named to the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2009 as one of the inaugural inductees.
In the 2009-10 season, the Bisons started the season ranked #5 in the CIS Top 10 (first time ranked for the program since the 2007-08 season) and have been ranked for the first eight weeks of the 2009-10 season. The Herd won two of the last three conference games prior to holidays and has already beaten three CIS ranked teams in the first half of 2009-10.
