Xi'an, China -- Setter Luke Herr -- Bison men's volleyball's all-time leader in assists (rally-scoring era) -- has booked his ticket to Paris to represent Canada on the Olympic stage.
This past weekend, Herr and Team Canada qualified for their third straight Olympic games, doing so by defeating No. 34 Mexico 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-15) in its final game of the men's Olympic Qualification Tournament. That victory clinched the Canadians a second-place finish in the eight-team Pool C with a 5-2 record.
This will be the 29-year-old Herr's first time playing for Canada at the Olympics. Of the 15-player roster, captain Nicholas Hoag of Quebec is the lone member who represented Canada in Rio in 2016, and one of four that played in 2021 in Tokyo, along with Toronto's Arthur Szwarc, Edmonton's Lucas Van Berkel and Stephen Maar of Aurora, Ont.
Herr, a 6'4" Winnipeg product from John Taylor Collegiate, played for the Bisons from 2012-17. During his time with the Herd, the 6'4" distributor amassed 3,816 assists, the most in the rally-scoring era in program history, and the second-most in Canada West. His total was just behind Brett Walsh from Alberta (4039), who's also on the Olympic-qualifying roster.
A member of Manitoba's 2017 nationals-qualifying squad, Herr holds two of the top five single-season assist marks in Canada West history. His 988 in the 2015-16 season are the second-most, just behind Walsh (1031), while his 980 in 2014-15 are the fourth-most in a conference season.
After his time with the Bisons, Herr turned pro, playing in Germany (2017-20, 2021-22), the Netherlands (2020-21) and Greece (2022-present). On the international stage, he was named Best Setter at the 2022 Pan American Cup, and the 2023 NORCECA Championships. Rosteted as the starting setter, he also represented Canada during the 2023 Volleyball Nations League, playing in 40 sets.
"Luke was fantastic. I can't say enough good things about this guy. He had all the characteristics of a great human being and a great athlete," said Bisons legend and two-time Olympian Garth Pischke, Herr's coach during his four-plus decade tenure with the Bisons.
"He had phenomenal athletic ability, and was a hard-working, and positive guy. He was extremely coachable. He would listen to everything you said and try everything you said. He wasn't afraid to try new things, there wasn't a stubborn bone in his body. You combine that with the dedication he's put in, he's sacrificed a ton to get to this level, going over and playing in Europe for close to half a dozen different countries and gaining the knowledge there. Put that together with his incredible talents and volleyball IQ, he really has the total package."
