The looming winter season means the return of volleyball and basketball at St. Thomas University and incoming rookies are excited for the season ahead.
The women’s volleyball team recruited locally this year, bringing middle Elle Kilburn to its roster. Coming from the Spartans volleyball club in Fredericton, Killburn said she’ll use her hitting and blocking skills to help the team succeed.
Kilburn finds the busy balance of school and volleyball helps her get through the day.
“There’s not a lot of down time,” she said. “It keeps me busy.”
So far, her favourite part of playing is the atmosphere of the home games.
“I like the hype that we get with the crowd that comes,” said Kilburn.
While Kilburn is sticking close to home for her university sport career, that’s not the case for Grace Christie, who joins the women’s basketball team from Yellowknife, N.W.T. After hearing about her brother, Chris Christie, and his experience attending STU, she chose to come back to the east coast, where she was born.
“[The basketball] was a lot different than I expected, especially coming from the north,” she said. “I didn’t really know what the level was going to look like, but I love it.”
Christie hopes that her versatile and physical style of play will help the team to a championship this season.
“That’s been everyone’s goal for a long time, but I feel like this team can achieve that,” said Christie.
Raphael Fiset followed the Tommies’ progress for two years before signing with the men’s volleyball team last December. What he first noticed was the team’s success streak, continuously winning games.
“Being in a culture of winning and being successful was something I wanted to be a part of,” he said.
Fiset said where he lacks in height and physicality, he makes up for in quickness and intelligence on the court.
Moving from his hometown of Calgary, Alta. has been an adaptation for Fiset, but he said the busy volleyball schedule is a good distraction.
“I don’t have time to worry about the little things,” he said.
Head coach Henri Mallet first saw Fiset play at a showcase in Alberta. He caught the coach’s attention with his body language and leadership on the court.
Mallet said a setter needs to be someone with a calm demeanour on the court, whom the team can turn to when the game gets tight.
“[Fiset] has that and we noticed that from the get-go,” he said.
Mallet said Fiset had the opportunity to visit the school and practice with the team last year, where he fit in right away. From that point onward, he said Fiset was a “difference maker.”
“We knew that if we were fortunate enough to land him, he was going to make a big difference for our program,” said Mallet.
