Abbotsford – With a new era on the horizon, the University of the Fraser Valley men’s volleyball program is pleased to introduce local product Tyson Ardell as its first recruit in the Class of 2020.
The 6’6” middle out of Abbotsford’s Mennonite Educational Institute is the first signee for head coach Nathan Bennett as he builds the roster in preparation for a move from the PACWEST up to the Canada West conference this coming fall.
Ardell brings a blue-chip pedigree – he led his MEI Eagles to the B.C. AA provincial championship last fall, earning tournament MVP honours in the process. He’s also spent three summers with the B.C. provincial team (2016, 2017 and 2019), and last summer helped Team B.C. win gold at the Canada Cup in Halifax.
Ardell is No. 4 on VarsityLetters.ca’s ranking of Grade 12 boys volleyball players in B.C., as voted by the province’s Canada West men’s volleyball coaches. Born in Prince George, Ardell’s head coach at MEI is former UFV athletic director Rocky Olfert.
“In my eyes, Tyson is the best middle blocker in his class coming out of B.C.” Bennett enthused. “We’re ecstatic that a local player of his calibre is willing to be the first recruit to join us as we move into Canada West. Tyson’s history of being a major piece of teams that have been successful is important for our program moving forward, as he’ll bring leadership at a young age.”
“I chose UFV because it’s close to home, and it’s a special opportunity to be part of a new U SPORTS team,” said Ardell, who plans to pursue a kinesiology degree at UFV. “My goals are to bring energy to the team and have a fun five years of volleyball.”
The Cascades volleyball programs are in the midst of their final PACWEST season, and will make their Canada West/U SPORTS debut in October 2020.
