MEN’S VOLLEYBALL SIGNS MEI STAR

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (ANNOUNCEMENT)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2010
RECRUIT SIGNING

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL SIGNS MEI STAR

LANGLEY, British Columbia - The Trinity Western Spartans men’s volleyball team solidified the future of its libero position with the recent signing of Tyler Koslowsky, a Grade 12 student at MEI (Mennonite Educational Institute) who will join the Spartans in the fall of 2011.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Abbotsford product is a setter for the MEI Eagles but, upon joining the Spartans next fall, will be developed at the libero position. Koslowsky most recently helped lead the Eagles to a bronze medal at the 2010 B.C. Boys High School AA Volleyball Championships and was a first team-all star, while in his Grade 11 year he led his team to a gold medal at provincials where he was also named a first team all-star.

But while Koslowsky has proven his worth on the volleyball court and impressed the likes of TWU coach Ben Josephson, it came as a bit of a surprise that he even chose this sport.

Up until his recent commitment to TWU, Koslowsky was better known as a baseball player within Abbotsford sports circles. He was a shortstop and leadoff hitter for the Abbotsford Cardinals of the B.C. Premier Baseball League. He had won a gold medal with the U-17 Team B.C. at this past summer’s Canada Cup. And, earlier in the fall, he was seriously considering pursuing the dream of being a Major League Baseball player.

So when he made the decision to come to the Langley campus for volleyball, Josephson was delighted, and a little surprised.

“I had initially thought he was going to go the baseball route but we are really excited that Tyler has chosen to play volleyball and that his school choice was TWU,” said coach Ben Josephson. “He is a supremely talented athlete but his quality of character eclipses his athletic ability. He is a great student, a great leader and a great teammate.

“You don't have to be around Tyler long before you know what kind of young man he is. He will be a great player for our program for years to come, and he will be a great man and ambassador for athletics at TWU."

With current starting libero Jarrod Offereins in his third year of eligibility, Koslowsky comes to the Spartans in typical Josephson timing. The plan will be to have him learn the position for the first two years and, once he’s in his third year, he’ll be prepared to replace what will then be a graduated Offereins.

“Trinity Western is an awesome university,” Koslowsky said. “Attending this school was an easy decision for me as it offers top athletic and academic programs.  The volleyball program at Trinity Western is amazing and having a chance to be part of such a successful CIS program that has such high quality coaches is exciting.  Getting a good education where I can also grow spiritually is also important to me and I know Trinity Western is the school where I can accomplish these things.”

The Trinity Western men’s volleyball team’s next game action will see them play host to the Spartans Holiday Classic Jan. 3-5, 2011 with all games at the Langley Events Centre. The tournament – which will feature some of the best teams in Canada, including Calgary (#3 in CIS), Dalhousie (#8) and Thompson Rivers (#9) – serves as a dry-run for TWU as the school prepares to host the men’s volleyball CIS national championships Mar. 4-6, 2011.

-TW-

Last Updated: 2010-12-20
Author: Mark Janzen