St. Thomas University Tommies Coastal Graphics Athlete of the Month for February Marc Blinn helped win the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association Championship and bring the men’s volleyball team to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Nationals three years in a row.
Twenty-one year old Blinn is in his third year at STU, a team captain and setter for the Tommies.
Volleyball was not Blinn’s first sport. He played baseball, soccer and hockey, but during middle school Blinn had to choose between hockey and volleyball.
Blinn chose volleyball because it was cheaper, and a year-round sport.
“Grade 7 at Ecole Saint Anne my brother and I tried out for the middle school team,” said Blinn. “We made the team because Coach Henri Mallet knew my sister who played for Dalhousie University and knew there was some potential there.”
“We never knew what we were getting into,” he said. “I felt “Oh my God this is so difficult” because it was so technical. But with practice it just came together.”
Since Blinn first stepped on the court he has stood out as a team leading player and has many accomplishments in the sport today.
Grade 8 during the Jeux de L’acadie tournament his team won gold. Grade 11 his team went to the nationals in Toronto and then the nationals in Edmonton Grade 12.
“Playing at that type of level then, helps us now to play against higher skill level.” he said.
At 19 Blinn helped represent New Brunswick by coming fourth at the National Team Challenge Cup.
“Because New Brunswick is so small, a good set of athletes can bring recognition to a small province,” said Blinn.
But for Blinn, his greatest accomplishment so far is winning the ACAA Championship three times in a row, and going to nationals with the Tommies.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to represent our school and showing other schools our potential for the future in this sport,” he says.
Tommies men’s volleyball Coach Francis Duguay recruited Blinn to the Tommies after high school. Duguay also used to coach Blinn while in high school.
“In our playoff stretch he provided our hitters with quality sets and helped us earn our way to the nationals. We hope to keep that success going,” said Duguay.
After winning the ACAA championship the Tommies lost 0-3 to the Red Deer College Kings during the CCAA quarter finals on Mar. 10. RDC was ranked first in the division and was a difficult match for the Tommies said Blinn.
“I don’t think we played STU volleyball during that match,” he said.
The next day the Tommies played a close game against Mohawk College but lost 0-3.
“It was a really close game we came close but lost by two points each set,” he said.
Blinn felt the team was deflated from their loss against MC contributing to the next day’s loss against Keyano College 0-3.
“We just couldn’t bring it,” said Blinn. “We had no intensity in those sets.”
Blinn feels that for the Tommies to have gotten gold at the nationals the team needs to work on individuality during off-season.
“Everyone to be disciplined and have the intention to hit the gym in the off season,” he said. “Spend less time at the beginning of the year (training) on technique. (It) would be beneficial to practice those skills in the summer.”
Blinn has higher aspirations for the Tommies next year.
“Obviously our goal is to win ACAA’s again and a medal in the nationals,” he said.
To do that Blinn wants, “More of a captain’s presence with trying to get the team more physically active and giving hitters better sets to hit.”
For rookies who might join the team this fall Blinn says to train hard.
“Have the heart to improve and want to be better. Always seek to improve (and) never be satisfied with the minimum.”
