Raised in a household where volleyball was always top of mind, it's no surprise Carter Goetz found the path that he did.
Now now Goetz, a 6-fooot-6 left side from Oak Park High School, is taking the next step down that road with a commitment to Chris Voth and the Winnipeg Wesmen men's volleyball recruiting class of 2026.
Goetz, who has played the last two club seasons with Winman after a stint with 204 Volleyball Club before that, said parents Kim and Kevin have always had a keen involvement in volleyball in the province. Kevin played U Sports volleyball at Manitoba, but said Dad is "already on board" for his son donning Wesmen Red.
"I've kind of always been around volleyball because both my parents have been coaching and playing volleyball all their lives," he said. "So when I was growing up, when they'd both coach, I would go to a bunch of games and just kind of watch it and started falling in love with it.
"I was trying a bunch of sports, like hockey, basketball — I was just doing baseball — kind of just trying everything. And then the further I got in, the more I started liking volleyball and I think once I got to high school, that's when I knew I wanted to play past high school."
Goetz said he wasn't aggressive in his recruiting push but made it a point to approach university coaches and introduce himself when he had the opportunity.
Conversations with Voth showed him that U of W was a place he was going to be comfortable.
"People told me before he was a good coach and when I first got to talk to him, you're able to tell how he really likes his players and really wants to improve on what you are." Goetz said. "Even when I wasn't fully committed, he was always checking up on me and seeing how I was doing."
Voth likes the physicality and athletic ability Goetz is already flashing. In addition to being a graduating all-star, and a provincial club all-star in 2024, his Winman U18 team captured the Beast of the East Canadian Open gold medal last week in St. Catharines, Ont.
"Carter brings a level of athleticism and strength that reflects his background as a competitive multi-sport athlete," Voth said. "We're thrilled he's chosen volleyball and our program as the place to continue his journey. His calm, composed demeanour is matched by strong technical skills and a physical presence that will allow him to make an impact right away. Coming off a gold medal performance at Beast of the East, we're excited to see him build on that success at both the club and university levels."
For his part, Goetz said a chance to train with the current team solidified that he was going to play for Winnipeg.
"When I went to practice there and just seeing all the players and how Coach Chris had such a good connection with everyone and just how the team meshed," he said, "I just really wanted to be a part of that."
