Fifth-year Cassie Bujan's university volleyball career has been a whirlwind of sometimes unexpected twists and turns. Still, she's handled every moment in style on route to an impressive post-secondary resume.

The 5'7" Bujan spent most of her pre-university days playing as a left side. While she enjoyed the position, she knew it wouldn't be what got her to the next level. 

"As a left side I was never the one to get the big kill or anything. It was pretty much off hands or deep corners where everyone called it out and then it was in. I was more of a smart player and was there basically for my defence and passing."

Cue her senior season in 2014 with the Cobras Volleyball Club. Midway through the year she was moved to libero, a shift that had spectacular results. Bujan and her U18 squad ended up winning nationals that year and she was also honoured as a tournament MVP.

But success aside, Bujan was still looking for an opportunity to play at the next level. That opportunity came from the Bisons, in part due to the strong recommendation from her club coach, Jon Hykawy, and also due to the fact that Manitoba's roster got a slight makeover prior to the start of 2014-15.

Additionally, starting libero Caleigh Dobie – a member of the squad's national championship team from the year before – was experiencing concussion symptoms and depth was needed.

Little did Bujan know at the time, but her recruitment marked the start of a critical friendship with Dobie – one that got off to a shaky start at the beginning of her rookie year.

"I actually gave [Dobie] her first concussion of that season," Bujan says. "We smashed heads and I remember just being terrified to play. And then I lost us the game – I shanked the ball halfway up the stands."

Instead of getting mad at Bujan though, Dobie offered solace.

"I saw [Dobie] coming down the hall and I hid in the bathroom because I was just terrified of what was going to happen. Then she came in to see me and we pretty much just bawled together and hugged. She was like 'I'm not mad. I'd rather that happen than the ball hit the ground.' Ever since then we've had each other's backs."

Bujan spent the next three years in a two-libero system with Dobie. The duo became a stellar tandem and also bounced feedback back and forth to each other.

"If [Dobie] ever had an issue, I was always telling her things and she appreciated that. And any time I got the chance to play, she was always the first one to tell me pretty much how I was doing, what I could do better and what I was doing good at."

Dobie's final weekend in 2016-17 against Trinity Western provided another memorable moment for the pair. It was decided in the leadup to the weekend that Dobie would start the game by herself, as it was the final two contests of her university career. But the former national champ had other ideas.

"[Dobie] sat me down and said 'you're dressing with me this game. We started this thing together and we're going to end it together.' I started bawling. I'll never forget that. She's a huge part of how I play now and how I'm doing is pretty much all because of her."

Bujan noted that things started to click for her in 2016-17 and that confidence carried over into 2017-18, where she led the conference in digs per set, with 4.36 and was also second in total kills, with 410. She was also named the team's MVP at the end of the year.

"Last year I felt at home. I guess over the years of just getting the same touches and plays over and over again, you just start reading the play a lot better," she says of her 2017-18 performance.

Bujan hasn't missed a beat so far in 2018-19 either. She currently leads the conference with 243 digs and is second in digs per set, with 4.42. Not too shabby for a player whose university aspirations were up in the air at one point.

"It's just crazy that I didn't think I would make it this far and now I'm leading in digs and am up there in digs per set. I never thought I would get to this point," she says.

"Even as a libero role, normally it's overlooked, but my team respects me so much and obviously I've earned quite a bit of that just through my work ethic every day in practice and games. Their trust in me is crazy, because I take up quite a bit of the court and I've earned enough respect that I can kind of lay down the law and speak up once in a while."