Key changes for men's volleyball

A small correction was made to this article on August 28.

Fanshawe College's men's varsity volleyball team is off to a good start this year, as the entire program has been overhauled on and off the court. Head coach Patrick Johnston has spiked the team with a decorated volleyball veteran and several promising young recruits as well as revamping the team's coaching staff. Here's a look at what's changed.

Recruits
This year's addition to the roster is former Western Mustangs Varsity Volleyball and Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Canadian player Mathieu Poulin, a veteran and leader who will provide some much-needed national experience to the young team. The Winnipeg native played four seasons with the Mustangs, contributing to their three appearances at the Ontario University Athletics championships and CIS national championships.

Joining Poulin are incoming high school recruits Nate Van Camp, Mike Liscumb and Grant Ward. The left-handed hitter Van Camp is a former Durham Attack club player who is fresh off a national championship in which he helped the Attack to a fourth-place finish.

Liscumb is a local player from the London Volleyball Club who Johnston had previously coached. He helped LVC finish with the bronze at the provincial championships.

Rounding out the impressive list of recruits is London native Ward, who also comes from LVC. Johnston is expecting the 6'3 player to be an offensive force on the court.

“I can see Grant earning some court time very soon. He can put a lot of pace on the ball and I've seen him grow immensely in terms of shot selection. He is developing into a pure scorer with a large arsenal of shots,” said Johnston.

Armed with a fresh coach, the Falcons have the potential to improve on their past performance.

Coaching
In the past few years, Fanshawe's men's volleyball team has been inconsistent. At its peak, the team ranked as high as fourth in the country only to falter in the second half of the season. One former player cited coaching and lack of resources as the reason behind past seasons' failures.

Change is on the way for the program. Johnston has taken Fanshawe by storm, making significant changes to the coaching staff and adding a strength and conditioning coach, which the past Falcon teams have not had access to. With Fanshawe hosting the Volleyball Canada Centre of Excellence and a strong group of recruits and an impressive coaching staff, Johnston has revamped the team into one with a potential to not only win but also be a competitive force in the Ontario College Athletic Association.

Johnston has added Joe Wrigley as assistant coach.Wrigley is a former player and coach for Durham Attack and has coached them to a silver and gold at the volleyball national championships.

Also joining Wrigley will be associate coach Brad McClure, who is coming off a stint as the assistant coach for the Western women's volleyball team. McClure is currently completing his Master of Kinesiology, coaching specialization and is the former LVC U14 boys head coach.

Conditioning coach Sean McKay is a former Western University varsity player and teammate of both Johnston and Poulin. During his time at Western, the former Team Ontario player led the Mustangs to two appearances at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships. He is pursuing his Master's degree in Coaching, Strength and Conditioning.

Wrapping up the coaching staff is Dylan Subject, who will serve as the recruiting coordinator. Subject is a Fanshawe alumnus who played two seasons with the Falcons. He also served as the assistant coach for the men's team last year with a focus on defense development and setting.

With Johnston at the helm and his newly selected coaching team at his side, the Falcons have some of the most notable names in the area behind them. Johnston's connections with Boston College — where he was the assistant coach during his National Collegiate Athletic Association stint — has enabled a January exhibition tournament between Fanshawe and American Ivey league schools Harvard, MIT and two other smaller universities.

The Falcons' first game of the year will take place against Western at Fanshawe on September 29.

CHATTING WITH POULIN

Interrobang sat down with Poulin about his upcoming season as a Falcon.

As a former teammate of assistant coach Sean McKay and Patrick Johnston, how is it to now be coached by them?
“It's a different experience, that's for sure; I've known these guys for five to six years now. Sean McKay is doing the strength and conditioning part, so that's not too weird. I've worked out with him a lot, and he really knows what he is doing in the gym. As for Pat Johnston, it is a little weird, but I feel like Pat was coaching/helping me throughout my entire career. He has an amazing volleyball IQ, and I feel that I will be able to learn a lot from him this year. We have already started working on stuff this summer doing one-and-a-half to twohour one-on-one practices. When we get into the gym, we are all business — we are both focused on what we need to do.”

You've had a successful career as a Mustang; how are you going to translate that to your new Fanshawe team?
“At Western, I was playing some of the best volleyball in the country, but the last time I suited up for Western was almost a year and a half ago. I took a year off school to refocus on what was important. I am a more complete player now despite not playing in a long time. I know what needs to be done to win and I will do what is necessary to win.”

What are your hopes for the season?
“I wasn't too sure what to expect, especially from looking at the team's record last year. But I have played and practiced with some of the guys and there is a lot of potential. We are extremely athletic; the guys seem to have the drive to win and have great coaching. I see no reason for us not to perform immediately.”

What role are you hoping to have in this team in terms of leadership and experience?
“In the past, I have been lazy in practice and taking plays off. This is something I have worked hard to change. You realize that you can't waste time; every minute in the weight room or in the practice is an opportunity to leave your mark. I'm just going to go out be vocal and hopefully my drive and intensity will rub off on the guys.”

How do you feel about the upcoming exhibition game against the Western team?
“It's going to be a strange experience, that's for sure, I've gone through a lot with those guys, and with the amount of time you spend together, you obviously create a sense of brotherhood that will always be there. That being said, there will be a lot of chatter through the net — I've already started trying to get into their heads, haha.”