The Camosun Chargers men’s volleyball team has rounded out the first half of their season on a much-needed high note. With four rookies and two transfers, there’s been a clear shift in team chemistry over the past few months, leaving a less-than-stellar reflection on their record.
“We had a pretty tough start to the semester, but right now, we’re feeling pretty good about going and closing out this semester, and going into next semester,” says floor captain Matt Rapin. “We’ve worked on a lot of different skills, and even though it’s not reflecting it right now, I think moving forward we’re kind of geared for that.”
As each player settles into their role, there’s the notable presence of two new additions to the team. Second-year transfers Carter Mullner and Logan Andrew have become assets to the Chargers, bringing experience and skill to an already stacked roster.
“I was a transfer, too, coming here,” says Rapin. “Teams operate differently, so it’s nice when guys transfer in. There’s different approaches on how to do things that maybe we wouldn’t have thought about, and they bring different elements to the team that maybe we didn’t think were possible.”
Leadership, too, has been a focus of the team this season, with minor changes being made to their style and structure. Each captain’s position has evolved in function, creating an open environment in which every player is included.
“Everyone puts in their opinion on what they feel needs to get done and then, as a group, we can either take it on or, if we don’t think it’s necessary, we leave it,” says Rapin. “So, this year, there’s a lot more freedom for everyone to express themselves, which I think is pretty cool.”
Head coach Kelvin Ma, who led the Chargers to their second consecutive PACWEST and CCAA gold medals in 2023, has been working to improve the team’s overall game this season.
“Kelvin’s a very strategic coach,” says Rapin. “He definitely puts in a lot of time watching other teams for that game plan going into the next week. I know he works really hard at that, so I think it’s our job to follow it and move on each week. There’s good trust from both sides, the coaching and the players, and that helps us play as good as we can.”
With the guidance of their head coach, as well as the leadership of their captains—Rapin, Jake Bolton, and Edvard Adolfsen—the team hopes to maintain an upward trajectory through the remainder of the season. But their most prevalent goals are to remain humble and team-focused.
“Obviously, winning is kind of a goal for everyone. But a thing for us is, each week, we build on what we worked on in practice, and then hopefully that shows in games. This last week, we really worked on defense and covering, and it was really rough in practice because it’s kind of new for a few guys, and then going into the weekend, it really felt like we worked on that. So moving forward, we can just keep building off that, and every week, work on something new. And then hopefully by the end of the year, we’ve kind of got it.”
Rapin hopes that the team will continue to develop throughout the season, furthering their connection on the court. But in order to regain their championship mojo, they must first re-establish their chemistry as a team.
“Volleyball is six guys on the court and six other guys kind of in supporting roles on the bench, so everyone has a role. It’s tough,” says Rapin. “You can’t do it alone.”