There aren’t many middles in the country with the skill-set of 6’7″ Rosenort, Manitoba native Jonah Dueck.
For starters, he has a standing touch point of just under nine feet, well above the average of 8’5″. Tack on his ridiculously long arms, elite range and exceptional volleyball IQ, and you have a man who’s nearly unstoppable at the net.
“I’ve been at tournaments with an eight-foot ceiling, and Jonah can stand and kick the roof during a dynamic warmup. He’s that big, but he’s that bendy,” noted captain Spencer Grahame, who, along with Dueck, libero Josh Jehle and setter Sammy Ludwig, all earned spots on Team Canada’s U21 roster in the summer of 2023.
“His balance at the net is exceptional. He’s never on the net, and he just blocks balls that no one else does. His body type and flexibility is uncharted for a middle like that.”
Dueck has the numbers to back up his teammate’s claims.
The fourth-year veteran has averaged over a block per set during his Bisons career, leading Canada West while finishing second in the nation in the category in 2022-23 and 2023-24 (1.15 and 1.33).
As a member of the Herd, Dueck has 256 total blocks. He’s been a major reason why Manitoba has either led or been in the top five in the nation in the stat each of the last three years, with a combined team total of 660 since 2022 (fellow middle Jordon Heppner has added 227 total blocks).
Dueck’s larger than life playing style and towering presence at the net earned him the nickname of “The Rosenort Boogeyman,” by former Bisons setter Jack Mandryk.
“Guys are starting to call him [The Boogeyman] more, because he’s such a nice and reserved guy, but on the court he’s just a menace,” Mandryk said at the start of the 2022-23 season.
The moniker has stuck, and while he’s not an in-your-face person, Dueck still appreciates the love.
“I try not to think about it too much, but it does give me a little bit of confidence knowing that people see me in that way, and allows me to play at my best.”
All of this is to say, that Dueck is a heck of a talent. He started games for Team Canada U21, he’s denied the country’s best blockers on the attack and he has more accrued blocks than anyone on Manitoba’s roster.
“He has such a calming presence,” added Grahame. “He doesn’t get too high or too low. He works every single day and puts the time in.”
This season, Dueck has “come out of his shell,” embracing a larger presence on the court to match his playing style.
When Manitoba’s played with confidence and in a “flow state,” as Dueck puts it, that’s when they’re at their best. He knows he has a role to play in that, including a 6-0 weekend sweep of Trinity Western.
In the two game series against the perennial contenders, Manitoba combined for 46 assisted blocks, including seven from Dueck and 15 from Heppner. The team’s energy was high the whole weekend, and they rallied together,
pulling off the school’s first 6-0 sweep against TWU in over two decades, and just the second overall against the Spartans.
“I think I’ve learned that I can be a little more outgoing on the court, and less quiet. I think in my first year I was very quiet. That’s just kind of who I am. I don’t play super extremely loud, but I’ve learned to come out of my shell a little more than I would have in my first year,” Dueck said.
“My confidence has grown naturally as I’ve played more. I think it’s something that I wanted to do this year, was be a bit more of a leader on the team as I’m an older guy.”
It helps that the Bisons were the best serving team in the country this season.
Manitoba’s 184 aces were 43 more than anyone else in the country, and they averaged 2.49 per set, paced by Karil Dadash Adeh’s 53 and Heppner’s 41, which was first and second in U SPORTS.
With lethal service pressure, the Bisons forced their opposition out of system often, allowing Dueck, Heppner and company to assert their dominance at the net.
“As a blocker I love that. You automatically know it’s going to the outside and you can have all the time in the world to get there and get set up right next to your outside blocker. It feels great. When I go on, Jordy is the next server.
He’s one of the best in the country. When you get a couple of out of system balls, it’s really nice,” said Dueck.
“That helps a lot. I think my ability to read is pretty good, so I know where to go. Obviously my nice long arms get up there. It’s a combination of it all.”
On top of his stellar blocking presence, Dueck has been a stalwart in the classroom, balancing the demands of athletics with a challenging course load in the faculty of engineering.
He’s chosen the mechanical engineering stream, while teammates Grahame and Ethan Hildebrand are in electrical, and civil, respectively.
This term, Dueck is studying thermodynamics, along with math and engineering economics.
“It’s mostly what I expected,” he said.
“I like how it challenges me. It’s not an easy degree to get. Sometimes I think I wish I could be doing some easier courses, but it really helps me focus on time management and getting my schoolwork done on time and being able to practice and lift throughout the week. It’s helped me stay accountable.”
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