MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: YE TO PROVIDE BOOST TO THE LAKERS OUTSIDE

With their latest addition, the Nipissing Lakers men’s volleyball team has added a piece to their outside as they look to continue to boost their offence.

The Lakers are excited and proud to announce they have signed Leo Ye, a powerful outside hitter who will join the program for the 2025-26 OUA season.

Ye will join the Lakers after wrapping up his time with the Reach Volleyball Club and he’s excited about taking the next step.

“I am incredibly excited to be able to join the Lakers and enter the volleyball program. It was an absolute honour to be told that coach Eric Yung was interested in recruiting me for the program,” he explained. “Being given the opportunity to play at the OUA level is something I never thought I’d be able to achieve, but with the guidance of my coaches and the chance that Coach Eric was willing to take on me where I can further pursue my volleyball career.”

Ye is originally from Markham, ON and will be enrolling in the business administration program at Nipissing when school begins in the fall.

He explained his style as an aggressive attacker.

“I would like to describe myself as a very confident player and physical player on the court I keep swinging whether the game has just started or it’s later in the game and the score is close, where my strength plays a big part in my confidence,” Ye stated. “I’m also willing to put my body on the line to keep the ball up where having a hustle mentality is especially important for me.”

Lakers head coach Eric Yung is excited to work with Ye and have him contribute to the program beginning next season.

“We are thrilled to be adding outside hitter Leo Ye to our program for the 2025-26 season. Leo already has a live arm and a strong serve that will suit the OUA game. We look forward to fostering his growth in our environment for years to come.”

The newest Laker knows there will be challenges during his transition to the OUA/USports level, but is excited about the opportunity ahead of him.

“The biggest reason that I chose Nipissing would be the team culture that I experienced when I first visited, where everyone seemed to trust one another on the court. Along with the intensity that everyone plays with that would help me grow as a volleyball player,” Ye said. “My expectations for the team going into the freshman year would be for the team to qualify for the playoffs and go on runs throughout the seasons. My expectations for the season as a freshman would be for the intensity of training to increase and to bond more with my teammates.”