During their legacy-cementing careers at the University of Manitoba, stepsisters Julia Arnold and Katreena Bentley re-wrote the Bisons record book, inspired the next generation and helped the Herd bring home national gold for the first time in over a decade.
 
With the libero-setter combo officially graduated, the biggest question entering the Herd's 2025-26 national championship defence, was who would step up to replace the pair. In the case of the libero, communication, agility and on-court awareness are instrumental to the role. As a defensive specialist, they need to be calm under pressure, to lead by example.  
 
Notable liberos also have a competitive fire that rubs off on those around them. They have a relentless drive to keep the ball off the floor, and to stay in the fight until the job is done.
 
Ontario native Chelsea Siebenga embodies all of these qualities.
 
Bison fans who have followed the program for the last number of years will know exactly who Siebenga is. The charismatic, confident fourth-year created many of the celebrations that came from the bench during conference play, keeping the energy and enthusiasm going all night long.
 
And when the 6'0" outside hitter entered the game, she was a difference-maker. Siebenga had a career-high 1.2 points per set during Manitoba's national championship season, prepared and ready whenever her name got called.


 
Transition to present day, where Siebenga's presence continues to be felt, this time as the team's starting libero.
 
Forty-year head coach Ken Bentley made the decision in May to shift Siebenga into the role, and she has been stellar. Entering this weekend's matchup against Regina, Siebenga leads Canada West in digs per set, with 3.87, helping the Herd to a 4-2 record.

"We were doing some passing in May, and I was like wow, she's doing a really good job right now. That's when the light bulb went off, thinking she could really do this. We had a good conversation about it. She's been great," said Bentley of the switch.  
 
"She has the personality to take it on, first of all. Her skill set is really strong. Defensively she's still learning the position a little bit, but her capacity to play out of system is as good as anybody in the country already."
 
Siebenga and Bentley worked on out of system setting all summer, and of course, serve-receive. She was in the gym three times a week in the lead-up to the season, coming to IGAC after working 11 hours as a landscaper.

"Ken talks a lot about how serve and pass is very mundane and boring, but you have to win the battle of serve-receive in volleyball," Siebenga said. "We put a lot of hours in this summer. You kind of get into a rhythm with it."
 
Fitness-wise, lead strength and conditioning coach Cole Scheller had the team doing their critical hill training days on Mondays (among many other important workouts) to prepare for the grind of long games, while Siebenga and veteran middle Eve Catojo spent their Saturdays doing leg day.
 
"In the gym, Eve would drag me into the HPTC every Saturday. We were wanting to do split squat lunges three times [around] in the HPTC, that was our goal all summer. We did it almost every Saturday. I think it's really helped me so far. Honestly I loved it. And she loved it, I know. Eve and I grew really close this summer. That was probably a big part of it."
 
The hard work has paid off. Siebenga started off strong with 61 digs during the team's first pre-season trip to the United States, and it's been full steam ahead ever since. Her reach and athleticism at 6'0" has certainly helped, as it's not often you'll see a libero who's that tall.
 
"Her range is enormous," added Bentley.
 
"Her passing has been really solid. She just embraced it right away. The strength she brings as a libero in terms of her size and her reach is obviously a huge advantage."
 
 
'She just brings everybody along for the ride'
Siebenga stepped right into the line of fire in her first regular season weekend, as the Herd faced one of the best serving teams in the country, in UBC.
 
It was a rematch of last year's instant classic in the national semi-final, and the 2025-26 edition was another thriller. The second game of the weekend set in particular, was an all-timer, lasting almost three hours.
 
Siebenga stood in the pocket all match, passing absolute rockets that came from some of the country's best at the line, such as Akash Grewal (second in the country in aces last year, with 53), and Aimee Skinner, who had a lethal spin serve.
 
"Akash's serve is crazy. Especially on the spin serves. Skinner also had a spin serve. Ken tries to tell us to treat it like a dig," noted Siebenga. "It doesn't have to be perfect. If you can just dig it up into the middle of the court we can run stuff off of that. That's the game plan with those kinds of serves."
 
Every Bisons starter had at least three digs in the second game against UBC, a 3-2 win, led by Siebenga's 19, a career-high. She was particularly key in the Herd's set three win. The Thunderbirds led by three down the stretch at 22-19, but gritty defence helped the hosts fight back to win in extras in a set that was tied 15 times.
 
Siebenga kept a variety of rallies going, including a critical pass that led to a momentum-shifting Andi Almonte kill down the stretch. Then, in the later stages of the fifth, she dug a ball that ended up landing in for a critical Bisons point. 
 
"Chelsea's a big personality. She just brings everybody along for the ride. She empowers people and plays fearlessly as a libero, which I knew that she would," Bentley said after the match.
 
"She set some really great balls that were out of system for us to score, that was critical I thought for us."
 
"You have to stay in every play," added Siebenga.
 
"I had to reset, I had to pass another ball, dig another ball. It can get very mundane, but you have to stay very disciplined and locked in every play. I learned a lot in those games."