The Rouge et Or of Laval University achieved its best recruitment since the entry of Gino Brousseau at the helm of the team in 2020.
Even though it’s only December, Brousseau can close the books on recruiting for next season with the arrival of four top players.
“We passed the challenge by recruiting the four best graduates in Quebec,” explained the pilot of the men’s volleyball club. The pandemic had hurt us with the departure of veterans, but we are getting back on track with these four acquisitions.
The Rouge et Or got their hands on Thomas Bocardi and Zakari Morneau, from the Limoilou Titans, as well as Félix-Antoine Perron and Olivier Boulay, from the Griffons de l’Outaouais. The Titans and the Griffons occupy the first two levels of the Division 1 collegiate circuit.
Bocardi and Perron have been the two best attackers in the RSEQ since the start of the season while libero Morneau was invited by the junior national team last summer in Gatineau. Boulay is a passer who can learn his skills behind veteran Charles St-Aubin.
“We have recruited very, very good athletes who are dominant in Quebec and very good people,” mentioned Brousseau. In addition to the two guys from Quebec, we were able to recruit two players from Outaouais, something we hadn’t managed for quite a long time.
Recruited in 2018, libero Rémi Cadoret, who has held an assistant position with the Rouge et Or for several years already, and striker Alexandre Obomsawin are the latest players from the Griffons. They completed their university course in 2022.
Three-phase project
Brousseau offers a project that covers three aspects to potential recruits. “There is sport and studies which are very important, but also a life project,” he said. Quebec is an important city for volleyball. We saw it again last week with a crowd of nearly 2,500 spectators. Young people who choose the Rouge et Or have the opportunity to play in front of large crowds and in first-rate facilities.”
Medalists at the Canadian championship over the last three seasons, the Vert & Or of the University of Sherbrooke are once again the team to beat this year. From the 2024 edition which won silver at Queen’s last year, only one top player has completed his university career.
“With a strong core returning, the Vert & Or are still the team to beat, a. recognized Brousseau, whose team had a record of five wins and three losses in the first half of the season, but we can win and lose against everyone. We beat Sherbrooke in five sets at PEPS at the end of November, but we also lost against Dalhousie and UNB.
In front of a crowd of nearly 2,500 spectators, the Rouge et Or put the brakes on a streak of 56 consecutive victories for the Vert & Or in the regular season which dated back to 2022.
Related News :