Vaughn Zimmer has two older sisters and while growing up in Inglis, his sisters always played volleyball.
So as is the case for many families, Vaughn decided that he wanted to try playing himself and years later, Vaughn is set to move out West to continue his collegiate career.
Vaughn ended up being one of the strongest players over the years while playing at Inglis Middle School and he received his first big break at the end of grade eight when he was named to Team Parkland for the Manitoba Summer Games. It was Zimmer's first real opportunity to play against the best of the best from around the province.
Jeremy Love of Dauphin was the team's head coach for the event.
"I was actually really nervous heading into the event and honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to play," offered Zimmer. "Ultimately when I made the decision to play, it was one of the best decisions I have made in my volleyball career. Jeremy was an amazing coach and I still stay in contact with some of the guys on the team, it was an incredible experience."
Set to enter high school in Major Pratt, Vaughn made the varsity team in grade nine and four years later, Zimmer completed a decorated high school career on the court as he was named to the Graduating All-Star Team and was also named most valuable player at several tournaments throughout his days at Major Pratt.
Following his time with the Trojans, Vaughn was not done with the game as he moved to Brandon and joined the ACC Cougars team as they play in the Manitoba Collegiate Athletic Conference. Vaughn was a starter on the team for the past two seasons and while they did not enjoy as much team success as they would have hoped, Zimmer is grateful for the opportunity that he got at ACC.
"It's been great to be able to play at the next level and I have grown so much as a player," offered Zimmer. "I've played with lots of great guys over the years and I have made lifelong friends, it has been a lot of fun."
While Vaughn has been pleased with his progression over the years, he knew that he had more in the tank and now, he's going to need to gas up his car as he's set to move to Alberta. Vaughn has announced his commitment to the Lakeland College Rustlers men's volleyball program ahead of the 2023-24 season.
A member of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), it's one of the top college leagues in the country and Vaughn will enter Lakeland with three years of eligibility. It's a step up from his time with ACC and as Zimmer says, he's looking forward to the challenge ahead.
"Just being able to play at a higher level will push me that much harder to achieve my goals," ended Zimmer. "I'm looking forward to meeting my new teammates and coaches. I've always wanted to move to the next level so I am thrilled about this opportunity and I can't wait to get going with my new team."
The Rustlers won 12 of their 19 conference games last year in the regular season which included a season-high four-game winning streak to end the campaign.
