Canadian setter Max Elgert moved from an award-winning university career at Alberta into professional volleyball across Poland, Germany, Greece and France before being chosen as captain of Jastrzębie Barkom for the 2026–27 season. His progression has included a CEV Cup final with SVG Lüneburg, a Greek league championship with Panathinaikos and increasing responsibility with the Canada men’s national team.
Born on August 31, 1998, Elgert developed in Athabasca, Alberta, where long weekly trips to higher-level training helped shape a career that eventually took him to the University of Alberta and Europe. Internationally, he was named Best Setter when Canada’s NextGen team won the 2024 Pan American Cup, then moved firmly into the senior group, appearing at the 2025 World Championship and throughout Canada’s 2026 VNL and NORCECA campaigns.
Player Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Maxwell David Elgert |
| Known As | Max Elgert |
| Date of Birth | August 31, 1998 |
| Hometown | Athabasca, Alberta, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Position | Setter |
| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 91 kg (201 lb) |
| Spike Reach | 343 cm |
| Block Reach | 320 cm |
| Dominant Hand | Right |
| College / University | University of Alberta |
| Current Club | Jastrzębie Barkom |
| Club Number | 4 |
| Club Role | Captain |
| National Team | Canada Men’s National Volleyball Team |
| National-Team Number | 9 (2026 international competition) |
| Previous Clubs | Alberta Golden Bears, BKS Visła Proline Bydgoszcz, SVG Lüneburg, Panathinaikos, Le Plessis-Robinson Volley-Ball |
Current Volleyball World competition data lists Elgert at 191 cm, while the 2026 VNL official team bulletin records a 343 cm spike reach and 320 cm block reach. A previous CEV roster with Lüneburg listed him at 91 kg and identified his full name as Maxwell David Elgert. SVG Lüneburg also described him as right-handed when announcing his signing in 2023.
Early Life & Volleyball Beginnings
Elgert grew up in Athabasca, a small Alberta community well north of Edmonton, and attended Edwin Parr Composite High School before entering university volleyball. His development required an unusual amount of travel. Volleyball Alberta’s 2016 athlete-award profile noted that he was travelling roughly 900 kilometres from Athabasca to Edmonton each week for practices, while also spending significant time studying match film. The organization named him its 18U Male Athlete of the Year and described his approach to the game as cerebral as well as athletic.
He joined the University of Alberta Golden Bears in 2016 and remained with the program through the 2021–22 season. The long university period allowed him to develop from a young setter into the organizer of one of Canada’s strongest collegiate offenses.
His final season provided the clearest statistical evidence of that progression. Elgert led Canada West with 10.79 assists per set, was selected to the Canada West First Team and finished his Golden Bears career second in program history with 2,357 assists. He also recorded 105 digs and 19 aces during the 2021–22 conference season. Nationally, he was selected as a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian.
The season ended with the most important team result of his university career. Alberta defeated Trinity Western 3–1 in the 2022 U SPORTS championship final, with Elgert distributing 35 assists. The victory gave the Golden Bears their ninth national title and first since 2015.
That championship became the bridge into his professional career. Rather than remaining in Canada after university, Elgert moved immediately into European volleyball.
Club Career
Elgert’s professional path has been built through increasingly demanding starting roles rather than one rapid jump into an elite league. His first season came in Poland’s second tier, followed by a European final in Germany, a championship in Greece, a prominent season in France and then a return to Poland as a top-division captain.
First Professional Season in Poland and the Move to Germany
BKS Visła Proline Bydgoszcz became Elgert’s first professional club in 2022–23. The team competed in Poland’s first division, one level below the country’s top flight, giving him regular responsibility immediately after university.
Elgert later described the season as an important first professional step because of the amount of court time he received and the opportunity to work closely with a specialist setting coach. Bydgoszcz came close to earning promotion, and his performances were enough to attract interest from a German club preparing for both the Bundesliga and European competition.
SVG Lüneburg signed him in July 2023 to replace Joe Worsley as its primary setter. Head coach Stefan Hübner already knew Elgert from time spent around Canada’s national program and emphasized two qualities when discussing the transfer: his work ethic and his tactical discipline. Hübner described him as a player capable of following a match plan closely and noted that, compared with Worsley, Elgert brought more size, athleticism, blocking presence and serving ability.
The move also placed Elgert in the CEV Champions League for the first time. Lüneburg later continued into the CEV Cup, where its season became one of the best European runs in club history.
Elgert’s distribution was specifically highlighted during the knockout stages. In a home victory on the way toward the semifinals, CEV noted how effectively he moved the offense among Erik Röhrs, Xander Ketrzynski and Jesse Elser rather than allowing the attack to become dependent on one option.
Lüneburg eventually reached the 2024 CEV Cup final against Asseco Resovia Rzeszów. The German club lost the title series, but European silver gave Elgert a major continental result in only his second professional season.
Panathinaikos and a Greek Championship
Elgert moved to Panathinaikos for 2024–25, taking the next step into a club expected to compete for domestic titles.
The Greek season gave a clearer statistical picture of his setting. Hellenic Volleyball League data records Elgert in 23 league matches and 82 sets, with a setter-efficiency figure of 47.72%. Among setters who met the competition’s qualification threshold, that placed him second in the league’s published setter ranking.
Panathinaikos also finished first in the regular season, then progressed through PAOK in the playoffs and faced Olympiacos in the championship series.
The final became a sweep in matches, though the individual encounters were much tighter than the 3–0 series score suggests. Panathinaikos won the decisive third match 3–2 after another five-set battle and reclaimed the Greek men’s championship. Elgert therefore finished his only season in Athens with his first professional national-league title.
That championship year showed a different part of his profile from the Lüneburg European run. Rather than being one of several new pieces in an emerging German side, he spent a full domestic season sharing the setting role inside a club operating under championship expectations.
Le Plessis-Robinson and a Central Role in France
For 2025–26, Elgert joined Le Plessis-Robinson Volley-Ball in France’s Marmara SpikeLigue.
The club described him as one of its major offseason signings, and he quickly became central to its offense. Against Montpellier, for example, Elgert repeatedly connected with middle blocker Clément Castelnau as Plessis-Robinson built a two-set lead; Castelnau scored nine points while attacking at 68% in that stretch.
Elgert’s influence extended beyond individual matches. Plessis-Robinson spent significant portions of the season higher in the standings than expected and ultimately secured seventh place, the best top-division finish in club history at that point. The result sent the team into the play-in round.
A knee problem interrupted the end of the regular season, but Elgert returned for the play-in against Paris Volley. In the first leg, his serving helped Plessis-Robinson establish early pressure as the club won 3–1. The return match developed into a much longer contest, with Paris eventually taking the tie through a deciding golden set.
The season nevertheless strengthened Elgert’s profile as a setter capable of carrying a large organizational role in a competitive European league.
Return to Poland as Jastrzębie Barkom Captain
Elgert returned to Poland for 2026–27, this time at the top level with Jastrzębie Barkom.
The move was different from his first Polish season four years earlier. In Bydgoszcz he had been a new professional trying to establish himself; in Jastrzębie he arrived as a Canadian senior international with experience in European finals, a Greek championship and three other national leagues.
His new teammates then gave him an additional responsibility. On October 6, 2026, Jastrzębie Barkom announced that the squad had selected Elgert as captain for the season. The club’s current roster lists him among the two setters, and Volleyball World’s TAURON Liga player page identifies him as number 4.
Club Career Timeline
| Seasons | Team | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2016–2022 | University of Alberta Golden Bears | Canada |
| 2022–2023 | BKS Visła Proline Bydgoszcz | Poland |
| 2023–2024 | SVG Lüneburg | Germany |
| 2024–2025 | Panathinaikos | Greece |
| 2025–2026 | Le Plessis-Robinson Volley-Ball | France |
| 2026–Present | Jastrzębie Barkom | Poland |
National Team Career
Elgert’s Canadian career developed through the NextGen structure before he established himself as a regular senior-team setter.
NextGen Experience and the 2022 Pan American Cup
Elgert was already inside Canada’s wider national-team group by 2022. He was included around the Volleyball Nations League program but did not appear during that VNL campaign, according to Lüneburg’s later account of his international progression. His competitive opportunity came with Canada’s younger group at the Pan American Cup.
Canada reached the 2022 final in Gatineau before losing to Cuba in straight sets. Elgert was part of the silver-medal roster alongside several players who would later move into regular senior international roles.
The tournament did not yet make him Canada’s first-choice senior setter, but it gave him meaningful international match experience at the same time that he was beginning his professional club career.
2024 Pan American Cup: Gold and Best Setter
The 2024 Pan American Cup produced the first major individual international award of Elgert’s career.
Canada’s NextGen team reached the final in Santo Domingo and defeated the United States 3–1 to win a second consecutive Pan American Cup title. While Jesse Elser was named tournament MVP, Elgert received the Best Setter award.
The timing is important when placing the achievement within his international career. Canada’s Olympic group was preparing for Paris while the NextGen team competed at the Pan American Cup, so Elgert was still outside the country’s Olympic roster. The Best Setter award nevertheless strengthened his case for a larger role in the next senior cycle.
That opportunity arrived after Paris.
Moving Into Canada’s Senior Core
For the 2025 international season, Volleyball Canada officially listed Elgert among its senior-team athletes rather than the NextGen group.
He appeared during the Volleyball Nations League, including Canada’s opening week in Quebec City. Head coach Dan Lewis singled out Elgert after the five-set match against Argentina, praising his performance as a young Canadian team worked through its first VNL week under the new coaching staff.
Elgert then made Canada’s 14-player squad for the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship in the Philippines.
Canada advanced from a difficult pool containing Türkiye, Japan and Libya before meeting world number one Poland in the Round of 16. Poland won 3–1, ending Canada’s tournament, but the championship represented another step in Elgert’s transition from development-program setter to senior international.
FIVB’s preview of Canada at the tournament specifically identified Elgert and Luke Herr as the setters charged with directing the offense.
VNL and NORCECA in 2026
Elgert remained active throughout Canada’s 2026 season.
In the Volleyball Nations League, Volleyball World’s current profile records six scoring points — two attacks, two blocks and two aces — while the official competition bulletin listed him at number 9 with a 343 cm spike reach and 320 cm block reach. Scoring totals are naturally a limited measure of setter performance, but his continued presence across the VNL confirmed his place in the senior rotation.
Canada then hosted the 2026 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship in Moncton. The team reached the final against the United States and pushed the match to five sets before losing 15–13 in the decider, earning the silver medal. Elgert was part of the tournament roster and remained involved through the regional Olympic-qualification stage that followed.
Volleyball World’s NORCECA statistics record seven scoring points for Elgert during the competition period, including four aces, two blocks and one attack point.
By the end of 2026, his national-team résumé therefore included Pan American Cup gold and silver, a Best Setter award, a World Championship appearance, repeated VNL involvement and a senior NORCECA silver medal.
Playing Style & Strengths
Elgert’s strongest documented trait is tactical discipline. When SVG Lüneburg signed him, coach Stefan Hübner described him as a hardworking player who could execute a match plan particularly well. That matters for a setter because Elgert’s value is not based on producing one distinctive type of set repeatedly; it comes from maintaining the structure a team wants while adjusting distribution to the opposition.
His 2023–24 European campaign gives a concrete example. During Lüneburg’s CEV Cup run, CEV specifically noted that Elgert distributed effectively among Röhrs, Ketrzynski and Elser, allowing several attackers to remain involved instead of concentrating the offense through one high-volume option.
The following season in Greece reinforced that profile statistically. Elgert completed 23 league matches with a published setter-efficiency figure of 47.72%, ranking second among qualified setters in the Hellenic Volleyball League’s official table. Panathinaikos simultaneously finished first in the regular season and went on to win the championship.
Physical presence is another meaningful part of his game. At 191 cm in current international listings, Elgert is tall enough to provide a more substantial front-row blocking matchup than many setters. Hübner explicitly highlighted his athleticism and blocking presence when comparing him with former Lüneburg setter Joe Worsley. The 2026 Canadian team bulletin gives Elgert a 320 cm block reach.
Serving provides another way for him to influence rotations without being a primary scorer. He recorded 19 aces during his final Canada West season at Alberta, later produced useful service runs for Plessis-Robinson and scored four aces during Canada’s 2026 NORCECA campaign.
Those traits make Elgert a relatively balanced setter: tactically structured in distribution, physically capable at the net and able to contribute pressure from the service line. His selection as Jastrzębie Barkom captain adds another dimension to that profile, because the role requires him to combine the technical responsibilities of running the offense with an explicit leadership position inside a newly assembled team.
Major Achievements
Selected National Team Honors
| Year | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship | Silver Medal |
| 2024 | Men’s Pan American Cup | Gold Medal |
| 2022 | Men’s Pan American Cup | Silver Medal |
The 2024 gold carried additional individual significance because Elgert was named the tournament’s Best Setter.
Selected Club & University Honors
| Season / Year | Competition | Result | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Greek Volleyball League | Champion | Panathinaikos |
| 2023–24 | CEV Cup | Runner-up | SVG Lüneburg |
| 2021–22 | U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship | Champion | University of Alberta |
The 2022 U SPORTS title concluded Elgert’s university career, while the CEV Cup final and Greek championship came in consecutive professional seasons.
Selected Individual Awards
| Year / Season | Competition | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Men’s Pan American Cup | Best Setter |
| 2021–22 | U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball | First Team All-Canadian |
| 2021–22 | Canada West | First Team All-Star |
| 2019–20 | Canada West | First Team All-Star |
| 2016 | Volleyball Alberta Mikasa Awards | 18U Male Athlete of the Year |
Elgert’s final university season combined individual recognition with team success: he led Canada West in assists per set, earned conference and national honors and finished the year as a U SPORTS champion.
Where Is Max Elgert Playing Now?
As of October 2026, Max Elgert plays for Jastrzębie Barkom in Poland’s TAURON Liga. He wears number 4 and was elected captain by his teammates before the 2026–27 season. The club announced the decision on October 6, while the official Jastrzębie-Zdrój roster lists Elgert and Jakob Solgaard Telle as the team’s setters.
The move returns Elgert to Poland four seasons after his first professional year with BKS Bydgoszcz, but in a very different role. He now arrives with experience from Germany, Greece and France, a Greek championship, a CEV Cup final and an established place in Canada’s senior national-team program.
His most recent international campaign included the 2026 VNL and a silver medal at the NORCECA Championship. The combination of national-team responsibility and club captaincy makes the 2026–27 season another step in a career that has consistently expanded through larger organizational roles rather than through scoring statistics alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Max Elgert?
Max Elgert was born on August 31, 1998. He is 28 years old as of October 2026.
How tall is Max Elgert?
Current Volleyball World records list Elgert at 191 cm, approximately 6 ft 3 in. The official 2026 VNL team bulletin lists a 343 cm spike reach and 320 cm block reach.
What position does Max Elgert play?
Elgert is a setter. His game is particularly associated with tactical discipline, structured distribution, front-row athleticism and useful serving pressure.
Which club does Max Elgert play for?
Elgert plays for Jastrzębie Barkom in Poland’s TAURON Liga. He joined the team for the 2026–27 season and wears number 4.
Is Max Elgert the captain of Jastrzębie Barkom?
Yes. Jastrzębie Barkom announced on October 6, 2026 that the players had selected Elgert as their captain for the 2026–27 season.
Has Max Elgert won a professional league championship?
Yes. Elgert won the 2024–25 Greek men’s championship with Panathinaikos, which swept Olympiacos 3–0 in the championship series.
What individual international award has Max Elgert won?
Elgert was named Best Setter at the 2024 Men’s Pan American Cup after Canada defeated the United States in the final to win gold.
References
- Jastrzębie Barkom — Maxwell Elgert named team captain for 2026–27
- City of Jastrzębie-Zdrój — Jastrzębie Barkom 2026–27 roster
- Volleyball World — Max Elgert 2026 VNL player profile and statistics
- Volleyball World — Max Elgert 2026–27 TAURON Liga player profile
- Volleyball Canada — Max Elgert athlete profile
- University of Alberta — Max Elgert and Golden Bears win the 2022 U SPORTS championship
- University of Alberta — Max Elgert named Canada West First Team All-Star
- Volleyball Alberta — 2016 Mikasa Achievement Awards
- SVG Lüneburg — Max Elgert joins as setter
- CEV — SVG Lüneburg’s 2024 CEV Cup run and Max Elgert’s distribution
- Hellenic Volleyball League — 2024–25 setter statistics
- eKathimerini — Panathinaikos wins the 2025 Greek men’s volleyball championship
- Le Plessis-Robinson Volley-Ball — PRVB’s 2026 play-in season finale
- Volleyball Canada — Canada wins 2024 Pan American Cup gold and Max Elgert earns Best Setter
- Volleyball Canada — Canada wins silver at the 2022 Pan American Cup
- Volleyball Canada — Canada’s 2025 Men’s World Championship roster
- Volleyball Canada — Canada wins silver at the 2026 NORCECA Championship
