VANCOUVER  Two members of Canada's youth national team headed to the world championships in Algeria and a member of the 2004 junior national team headline the list of eight men's volleyball recruits bound for UBC this fall, head coach Richard Schick announced Monday.

Six-foot-eight middle blocker Kyle Duperron of Fort St. John, B.C., and 6-6 power hitter Kyle Bryce of Guelph, Ont., will suit up for the Thunderbirds this coming season, days after returning from the world under-19 championships, which run Aug. 24-Sept. 1 in Algeria. Both players will also be competing at the Canada Games in Regina. Duperron, 17, helped North Peace Secondary to the Triple A championship this past season and was named a first team provincial all-star, while Bryce, 18, has spent three years on Team Ontario and has played for the youth national team for two years.

Another player with national team experience coming to the Point Grey campus is 6-foot-9 power Matt Lebourdais of Invermere, B.C., who played under coach Schick on last summer's junior national team. The 19-year-old former Team BC member from David Thompson Secondary is transferring to UBC after two seasons at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, B.C.

"I'm extremely excited about this year's recruiting class," said Schick. "The quality of student-athletes we are bringing in is extremely high and all have experience either provincially or nationally and are looking forward to challenging themselves in the toughest conference in the country.

"Bryce and Duperron have the ability to contribute right away. Both are physical talents and both love to play and compete. Matt possesses a great work ethic and is very agile for 6-foot-9. He understands the desire it takes to have success at the next level and is going to be an impact passing power hitter in Canada West."

Three other players with extensive college experience are joining the Thunderbirds program: Troy Jaggard of Calgary, a 6-4 power who won back-to-back CCAA championships with Red Deer; setter Drew Webber of Coquitlam, a 6-1 transfer from Capilano College where he won consecutive silver CCAA silver medals and was named a BCCAA all-star; and 6-5 power Mike Drew of Langley, one of Webber's teammates at Capilano.

Lebourdais and Jaggard are going into their third year of eligibility, while Webber and Drew, who will reunite with former Capilano teammates Jon Wiskar (Port Moody, B.C.) and Rob Mackenzie (Coquitlam, B.C.) at UBC, are fourth-year players.

Other true freshmen joining the UBC lineup this fall are Colin Bell, a 6-5 middle/power from Calgary who was invited to the youth national camp this summer, and
Reto Camenzind, a 5-9 libero from Powell River, B.C., who attended Saint George's Secondary and played two years for Team BC. Bell was a two-time 4A all-star at William Aberhart Secondary and plans to study marine biology at UBC.

"I really like the mix of youth and experience we've got coming in," Schick said. "Guys like Colin and Reto bring emotion and energy day in and day out and they'll push for playing time. Our college transfers all have winning experience at the BCCAA and CCAA level and they'll be able to draw on that to provide leadership for our team."

UBC is replacing five starters from last season's fifth-ranked team that finished 10-10, third in the Mountain Division, and lost to No. 4 Manitoba in the Canada West quarterfinals: middles Ike Onukwulu and Jake Cabott and setter Dave Beleznay to graduation; all-star power Geoff Emslie to academic graduation and work; and setter Hans Doef, who has decided to focus on school.

"There's going to be plenty of playing time up for grabs," said Schick, "and that's an extremely healthy problem to have with the caliber of players we'll have in our gym this fall."

-30-

Marc Weber
Communications Coordinator
University of British Columbia
Departmen