Brandon Bobcats volleyball team wins their first-ever national title

Photo & Story: USports

The Tantramar Trophy is heading to a new home for the first time.

Liam Pauls (12 kills), Riley Grusing (11), and Tom Friesen and Phillip Lauter (10 each) all tallied double-digit scores as the No. 8 Brandon Bobcats won their first-ever national title over the defending champion and No. 3 Alberta Golden Bears with a 3-1 victory (25-20, 22-25, 28-26, 25-17) Sunday evening.

Pauls added three aces and both he and Grusing had five digs apiece, while Lauter recorded nine block assists and a .588 efficiency to take home Championship MVP honours of the 2025 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship Presented by Sunrise Credit Union. J.J. Love rounded things out with seven digs and 40 assists.

The upset run by the Bobcats marked the first host team to capture the national title at home since Laval in 2013, and denied Alberta a chance at repeating as gold medalists, winning their third title in four seasons and breaking a three-way tie to claim sole possession of the most championships all-time. Instead, the Golden Bears settle for silver, marking their 22^nd medal in program history.

Two-time U SPORTS Player of the Year Isaac Heslinga was a force for Alberta, with 25 kills and eight digs, while Liam Espedido and Trent Cherewaty each had nine kills, with Cherewaty tallying a .900 efficiency. Luke Weddell chipped in eight digs and 42 assists.

Brandon recorded a .369 hitting percentage in the match, compared to Alberta’s .252

The Bobcats end their season as champions with an overall record of 13-12, while the Golden Bears finished at 21-6.

Mikasa Players of the Game

Brandon: J.J. Love

Alberta: Isaac Heslinga 

Championship MVP: Phillip Lauter

Championship All-Star Team

Jonathan Portelance, Sherbrooke

Emmett Graham, Saskatchewan

Isaac Heslinga, Alberta

Trent Cherewaty, Alberta

Phillip Lauter, Brandon

Liam Pauls, Brandon

R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award: Windsor Lancers