The Briercrest men’s volleyball team was excited when Linden, Alberta’s Taylor Klassen decided to transfer to Briercrest this past fall. He has made an immediate impact on the men’s volleyball team and the ACAC South!

The third-year left-side is near the top of almost every statistical category in the ACAC this year. He leads the ACAC South with 222 kills, which also ranks him second in the ACAC and third in the country. He is also ranked second in the ACAC South with 163 digs and is tied for fourth with 24 service aces.

The BA General Studies student explained how he decided to attend Briercrest.

“After two years spent at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford BC I decided that it was time to move on,” Klassen explained. “The team there was also disassembling so I decided it was best to look into other options. When I contacted Nigel and he brought me out here I saw that he was a coach that was not only willing to invest in me as a player, but also as a person. That aspect of coaching is huge for me. It was also important to me that Briercrest offered quite a few Kinesiology courses that I could take in my time here since that is an area of interest for me.”

Klassen has enjoyed his short time at Briercrest.

“I think it’s special to be on any team where you are surrounded by believers,” Klassen said. “Having a spiritual brotherhood makes a team that much more fun to be on. We all understand that we have a lot to play for because of our faith. We aren’t only playing for Briercrest but we are also playing as witnesses of Christ and I believe that that should motivate us even more to pursue excellence in our craft.”

Klassen has high goals for his time at Briercrest.

“As a student and an athlete I obviously want to pursue excellence because I know that whatever I do, that I need to do it for the glory of the Lord,” he said. “I see it from the perspective that God has given me the opportunity to excel in both academics and athletics and to pursue anything less than excellence is a missed opportunity.”

Klassen spoke to his strengths and how he has gotten to this point in his career.

“I am a super persistent person, so I don’t give up on pretty much anything,” he said. “This comes from growing up on the farm and my parents really pushing me to work hard in all aspects of life. This trait has definitely transferred into volleyball for me. I understand that I’m not the biggest player on the court which means that I’ve had to work extra hard in the weight room and during practice to get where I am at.”

Though he has a few years of volleyball at Briercrest remaining, he has a couple of ideas in mind for post-graduation.

“I really do not know what my future holds right now,” he explained. “I have thought of either taking over the family farm, or pursuing kinesiology to become an athletic trainer or physiotherapist.”

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