Noah (left) and Darian Koskie are part of a veteran Lancers squad aiming to wrap up their varsity volleyball careers with a national championship. (PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY WINDSOR LANCERS/UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
The nation’s best university volleyball programs will descend on Windsor for the 2026 U SPORTS BioSteel Men's Volleyball Championship in March, bringing elite competition, Olympic-level talent and championship drama to campus.
And quite possibly, two teams made up of the Koskie family.
Winnipeg natives and Lancers brothers Darian and Noah Koskie were immersed in the game through their father, Scott, head coach of UBC Okanagan’s men’s volleyball program — a team that could potentially stand across the net from the Lancers at nationals, creating a rare and emotional family rivalry on Canada’s biggest university volleyball stage.
“It would be pretty special,” Darian said.
“He’s the reason we got into the sport.”
The brothers spent much of their childhood travelling and watching the high-level matches their father Scott both competed in and later coached, as an assistant with Canada’s women’s national team.
“We were always around volleyball,” Noah said.
“We spent a lot of our younger years in gyms. It’s kind of come full circle now.”
Different paths, same destination
Despite growing up in the same home and attending the same high school, the brothers’ volleyball journeys rarely overlapped. Two years apart in age and surrounded by a strong Winnipeg volleyball community, they spent their developmental years competing separately.
Their paths finally converged at the University of Windsor — though not by design.
Noah arrived first. Graduating high school during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, he searched for opportunities to continue playing at the university level. After reaching out to Lancers head coach James Gravelle, he committed to Windsor without ever visiting campus.
“I didn’t know anybody and had never been to Windsor, but I fell in love with it,” said Noah.
Darian’s road took a different route, beginning at the University of Manitoba.
After three seasons — including pandemic disruptions — he began exploring new opportunities. Conversations with his younger brother and Gravelle quickly shifted his perspective.
“The chance to play with Noah was definitely a major deciding factor,” said Darian.
“It made the decision easy, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Built-in chemistry
Now key pieces of one of Canada’s top-ranked volleyball programs, the brothers bring a connection few teammates ever experience.
Volleyball is often called the ultimate team sport — a game built on trust, communication and split-second reliance on teammates. For Noah who plays the libero position responsible for anchoring the Lancers’ defence — that trust comes naturally when Darian is on the court.
“So much of the game is built around trusting the people around you,” said Noah.
“Playing with your brother, that trust is already there.”
Darian, a dominant middle blocker and one of the conference’s most efficient attackers, sees the relationship as equally powerful away from competition.
“You’re playing alongside your best friend,” he said.
“Having someone you can talk to about life, school and volleyball — it makes everything easier.”
A team chasing something bigger
The Koskie brothers are part of a veteran Lancers squad that has been building toward this moment for years.
Windsor has become one of the country’s premier men’s volleyball programs under Gravelle, consistently ranked among the nation’s elite and returning to nationals multiple times in recent seasons.
“We have a really tight-knit group,” said Darian.
“A lot of guys live together, which builds chemistry. The culture here is something special.”
For Noah, the bond within the team reflects the same brotherhood he shares with Darian.
“These guys have become brothers to me,” he said.
“Everyone has sacrificed and worked toward the same goal.”
The power of playing at home
If the Lancers needed additional motivation, the championship’s location provides it.
The Toldo Lancer Centre has quickly become one of the most electric volleyball venues in Canada, highlighted by last season’s sold-out conference championship atmosphere.
“That was probably the best environment I’ve ever played in,” said Darian. “The crowd energy was incredible and I’m sure it will be even moreso at nationals.”
A legacy moment
As March approaches, the championship represents something deeply meaningful for the Koskie family. It is a moment shaped by decades of dedication to the sport, by countless hours in training gyms across continents and by two brothers whose shared dream has finally aligned.
Should fate deliver the possibility of competing against their father’s team, the story would reach legendary proportions.
But regardless of the bracket or opponent, the Koskie brothers remain focused on the same goal.
“We don’t worry about who we play,” said Darian.
“We just want to be ready for whatever comes.”
When the opening serve is struck at the 2026 U SPORTS BioSteel Men's Volleyball Championship at the Toldo Lancer Centre this March 13 through 15, the stakes will be national. The spotlight will be bright. And for two brothers raised in a Winnipeg volleyball dynasty, it will be the realization of a shared dream years in the making.
For the Lancers, it may be the spark that drives their pursuit of gold.
For ticket information and a full championship schedule, visit the 2026 U SPORTS BioSteel Men’s Volleyball Championship website or golancers.ca.