Midway through the third set of the OCAA Men’s Volleyball finals a year ago this time, the Cambrian Shield were more than holding their own.
Playing before a raucous (and large) home town crowd – Cambrian earned the right to host when the Humber Hawks swept the top seedings in men’s and women’s volleyball and could not stage two sets of finals simultaneously – the Shield had split the first two sets, 29-31, 25-20.
Considering their opponents posted a 16-2 regular season mark while dropping all of 12 sets all year (Cambrian went 14-4 and featured a set record of 44-21), keeping the final this close was all local volleyball fans could have hoped for. In the end, Humber pulled away, capturing the title in four sets.
The top four teams in OCAA men’s volleyball have reconvened in Sudbury once again this coming weekend, but this time around, expectations have changed. The Cambrian Shield enter play as the #1 seed, ranked #6 in the country and are hosting the championship tournament by virtue of a first place 13-3 record.
They will enter play Friday against the Fanshawe Falcons (5:30 p.m.) having played their best volleyball in the second half of the year, integrating a few key additions to the lineups with a whole slew of returnees. Perhaps it is that taste of ultimate success one year ago that has most changed the outlook of the 2025-2026 Shield.
“I think we wanted it a bit more this year than last year – especially me, being in my last year,” noted 24 year-old Lasalle Secondary graduate Jason Diotte, completing his fifth and final season of play within OCAA Athletics. “I think we’re just a level up from last year: offensively, defensively.”
“Everyone is just a little bit better than we were last year.”
In the case of the 6’9” middle, the numbers don’t lie.
“This year, my (hitting) efficiency really peaked, the highest it’s ever been,” noted the young man who initially committed to the Humber Hawks, played one season there before returning home, post-Covid. “The big thing for me is jumping a little farther away from the net so that I have more to look at, using my peripheral better to get around the blocks.”
Cambrian takes to the court on Friday having split their home and home this year to Fanshawe, beaten in four sets back in November in London but sweeping aside the Falcons 25-21, 25-23, 25-22 when the teams met in Sudbury on February 1st.
“Fanshawe always comes to play against us,” said third year right side Liam Hansen. “It’s always a good battle. They watch a lot of tape, so they know our plays, they know what we like to do. Their defense is very good and they are always super scrappy.”
And still, Cambrian were able to dispose of the visitors last time around without the necessity of any extra sets. “Last time, we passed really well and played in system a lot, opening up our middles,” said Hansen, a 21 year-old native of Perth (ON) who is adding a degree in Carpentry to his post-secondary resume this year.
“When we get our middles going, our offense really gets going.”
Hansen (13 kills) teamed with Sudbury native Cale Bast (14) in presenting a one-two punch that helped keep Fanshawe on their toes in the encounter earlier this month, with Kyle Perreault (8) and Jason Diotte (6) offering even more options to returning setter and Lockerby Composite graduate Sam George.
Still, Hansen knows the mental game remains key for him.
“I find it hard, sometimes, to stay out of my head – especially when you make a mistake or two in a row,” he said. “Physically, I am at a point where I shouldn’t be worried about that.”
Plus, he has fellow third year Shield Connor Dorsey to lean upon in those moments.
“He’s known me for a long time; he can tell when I am in my head,” said Hansen. “And he knows my sense of humour. He will come over and mess with me – and he’s usually pretty good at getting me out of my head.”
Dorsey is likely to have plenty of support as a ever-increasing volleyball community in Sudbury is expected to pack the gymnasium beyond the 500 folks or so who assembled there last year.
“It’s going to be loud – but I don’t really get bothered by all of the noise and stuff,” said Diotte. “It’s motivating. Everyone is cheering for you, cheering for your team – the building is going crazy.”
“Last year, it was unreal,” Hansen agreed. “I think it will be beneficial to have that again.”
The Cambrian Shield were amply rewarded for a great season when it came to the awards announcement last week, with Dale Beausoleil earning West Division Coach of the Year accolades, joined on the divisional all-star squad by first team members Sam George, Jason Diotte and OCAA leading scorer Liam Hansen.
Cale Bast cracked the second unit, Ethan Wheatley was named to the West Division All-Rookie team and Sam George earned All-Canadian status. The second semi-final on Friday sees Humber doing battle with the Seneca Sting, with the bronze medal game set for 3:00 p.m. Saturday and gold taking place at 5:30 p.m.
The Cambrian women did not come home empty-handed, with Carlie Pappano (West Div – 1st team all-star), Mackenzie Selk (West Div – 2nd team all-star) and Allison Nordquist (West Div – 2nd team all-star) all earning props as well.
Rounding out the Cambrian men's roster are Jonas Obrigewitsch, Cohen Gillett, Ethan Lalonde, Colin Lindner, Connor Kipling, Keith Escabusa, Logan Trottier, Keegan Ryan, Owen Perron, Caleb Bridge and assistant coaches Chris Chedore, Scott Thomas and Stephen Brown.
