OLDS — The Olds College men’s volleyball team has added three new recruits to its roster for the 2021-22 season.
They are outside/opposite hitter Jorge Adrés Arias Calderón of Roldanillo-Valle, Colombia, outside Hitter Cole Behiels of Edmonton and pass hitter Reed Grusing of Bragg Creek.
“With the addition of these student athletes, the Broncos expect to be a playoff contender next season for the first time in ACAC (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference) program history,” an Olds College news release says.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Broncos’ season has been suspended so they’ve been training collectively, individually and virtually under Alberta Health Services protocols.
Calderón has a strong passion for the game. Because he stands 6'5" he also brings good height and a spike touch of 11'5."
Broncos Head Coach Ryan Marsden is looking forward to Calderón arriving in September.
"We can't wait to add Jorge to an already mature roster. He jumps high and his physical presence on the court will be impossible to ignore," he says.
Behiels, who stands 6'2," comes to Olds from the men’s volleyball program in Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C.
Before that, Behiels prepped at Jasper Place High School in Edmonton where his team won the 4A provincial championships in his final year at the school.
"What excites me the most about Olds College is the fact I get another opportunity to play the sport I love at a high level," Behiels says.
“This time around I am in a much more desirable program, and I know that I already have some connections out there – which really helps not only individually, but on the team chemistry side of things.
“I have heard many great things about Coach Ryan, and the calibre in which he coaches at. That is what ultimately led me to pursue Olds college, to start growing and developing one day at a time."
At 6'3," Grusing also adds impressive height to the Broncos.
"Reed jumps well and has amazing attack angles," Marsden says. "He comes from a great volleyball family and is highly motivated to play at our level and do whatever it takes to help our team be successful.
“This type of mentality fits well into the culture we've created in the Broncos program."
