By Reegan MacAulay

The Holland Hurricanes’ men’s volleyball team was having a whirlwind of a return to Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) action after the cancelled 2020-21 season due to COVID. A 2-8 record and a semifinal loss in 2021 were not ideal results, but for a squad full of first-year players (only one was a veteran), it was inevitable.

The transition period between then and the 2022-23 season was an interesting one as the program promoted former star Brett Butler from assistant coach to head coach. Butler had an illustrious career before becoming a coach, as he was a former captain, two-time ACAA champion, three-time CCAA & ACAA All-Star, two-time Holland Hurricanes Most Valuable Player, and a CCAA Academic All-Canadian.

He replaced Hayden Nichol and led the team to a 9-6 regular season record and a spot in the 2023 ACAA Championship Series, which Holland lost in a best-of-three format to the Université de Saint-Anne Dragons. Butler called the season a whirlwind.

“We had a lot of ups and downs as a completely new team. We earned a spot in the finals against a strong USTA team but fell short. Last season’s playoffs were different as it was a best of three for semis and finals. Unfortunately, we didn’t play at a high enough level to win. We seemed to have peaked a week too early,” Butler said.

The program was bound to produce yet another fresh-looking team going into the 2023-24 season, as only two players were back from the previous season’s starting lineup, Carson Gray and Tyler McBride. Gray was an outside hitter from Stratford, P.E.I. who jumped at the opportunity to play at Holland College in 2022 after watching the program for years.

“At the time, I felt like I was watching some of the best volleyball out there. When showing interest in Holland and learning there would be a chance to get a starting position on the team, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“Looking back at my rookie season, I would mainly talk about it as a learning experience. I had so many talented teammates that I learned a lot from, and I was able to bring that knowledge into the 23-24 season to help with the new rookies. Especially after falling as a runner-up at the ACAA Championships last year, the feeling of defeat in the locker room is a feeling that you’re determined to never feel again, which helped drive a lot of the hard work to get better prepared for the next season,” Gray said.

McBride, from Oakville, Ontario, was originally a libero in his rookie season, but he was moved to setter after the program re-signed a beloved, long-time player who would take on one last ride as a Hurricane, Marcus Lapointe. 

Lapointe committed to the program in 2016 and was understandably nervous about the transition from high school to college since he hadn’t played volleyball in two years. The nervousness was completely gone once he helped contribute to the program’s first-ever ACAA Championship.

“I felt like I would regret not trying to play again, so that really pushed me into this next journey. I think I settled in quite easily and worked really hard to increase my skills and abilities in the sport to hold my own in the league. I was welcomed to the team and the athletics program which helped my transition.

“Winning in my first year was quite a feeling. It was surreal. Being a part of that and contributing to the team to pull that off was amazing. Nationals were a big eye opener for our team, and I think it changed our view on what Holland College volleyball can and should be. It made us want to come back and work harder the following year,” Lapointe said.

Lapointe continued to be very successful as the program played in the ACAA Championship Game for the next two years, winning again in 2019 in front of a home crowd at the McMillan Centre. Unfortunately, from there, Lapointe’s career went on a roller coaster of chaos.

After 2019, he planned to transfer to another ACAA program, but an injury took that opportunity away. He returned to the Hurricanes for the 2021-22 season, but the injury bug continued as he dislocated his shoulder during a practice after the Christmas break, which required surgery. Thankfully, he was fully recovered and ready to go for the 2023-24 season, and there was no better way to end his career than by being coached by former teammate Brett Butler.

“Brett and I played for three years and coached together for one year, so I knew what to expect in a way,” Lapointe said.

On the recruiting side, the program had an influx of local talent, including right side/setter Dominik Pineau and middles Nathan Willis (second year of eligibility) and Brett MacAusland. Two players arrived from outside of Canada, including left side Mikka Alexis Mendoza from the Philippines and left side/right side Izumo Ueda from South Australia.

“Izzy was a recruit we knew we were going to rely on right away. I expected it to take a while for so many new players to gel, but I was confident we could get to a point where we could beat anyone by the end of the year,” Butler said.

The team started the season going 2-3 in the first five games and having a 4-3 record going into the Christmas break. Butler said the team knew growing pains were inevitable.

“That’s the nature of our one-and two-year programs. Young guns have to fill big roles. Getting embarrassed on our opening weekend was an eye-opener for a lot of the first years. It was hard to accept in the moment, but looking back, it galvanized us. Some people were introduced to the level of play in the ACAA. We aimed to make practices as game-like as possible, but there is no substitute for experience.

“We remained committed to our goal of being at our best at the end of the year. We stuck together and developed an identity as a team. We knew we weren’t going to be taller than many teams, so defense became our recipe for success. We knew if we could out dig our opponents, we’d be in good shape,” Butler said.

Lapointe said it was a slower start than expected but he knew things would take time.

“It’s always challenging to keep your head up when results and hard work are not necessarily showing. We had a terrible loss to STU in our first game of the season series which was very deflating for the whole team.

“We still needed time to get comfortable with everybody because there were a lot of new players, as well as players I had never played with before. Some people had to move around in their positions and grow comfortable with their roles. After Christmas, something just seemed to click,” Lapointe said.

He was right because the team exploded after the break, winning four of their next five games and concluding the second half with a 7-2 record. The team’s final regular season record was 11-5, which placed them in the second seed out of five teams. Butler said the team really hit a stride by January and everything was going right.

“Our offense was clicking and defense had become our strength. Finally beating USTA in our fourth game against them was big for morale. Beating STU on the road was perhaps our best game of the year,” Butler said.

Lapointe said the team was more confident than ever going into the ACAA Championships in Fredericton, N.B.

“Our chemistry was better as a team and we were pulling out challenging wins which led us more confidently into the championships. Going in without certain expectations allowed us to mold into a really successful team when it mattered,” Lapointe said.

Before the championships, Carson Gray and Izumo Ueda were named to the 2024 ACAA All-Conference Team, and Ueda was named the 2024 ACAA Rookie of the Year. Butler said both players deserved the achievements.

“Our captain Carson Gray was our sole returning starter playing the same position. His role was much different. He went from the person with the lowest attack attempt average to the leader. He could’ve easily been an All-Canadian.

“Izumo Ueda was dominant at times as a rookie. He demanded a lot of attention and still found ways to be efficient at high volume. He absolutely earned the recognition of Rookie of the Year,” Butler said.

At the championships, the team was set to play the hosting St. Thomas University (STU) Tommies in semi-final action, a team which it traded games back and forth with during the regular season. Holland was swept in the first two games and were bound to lose again in a home game on Feb. 11, but a big comeback led to a close 3-2 win. The momentum continued into an away game on Feb. 17 with a 3-0 sweep win.

Butler knew they would have to beat STU and USTA back-to-back if they wanted to win the league.

“We went in aware of the challenge in front of us. Having such a successful match a week earlier gave an energy boost. We made sure to emphasize that the Tommies were a very talented team capable of beating anybody when they are on. We knew we had to play well to match them. I remember in the locker room before we warmed up, I predicted the match would go five sets. We were such a familiar opponent at that point,” Butler said.

He got his prediction correct – but in a less-than-desirable fashion.

In a game that Carson Gray described as “an unmatched atmosphere, nothing like what the team had experienced all year,” Holland had a poor start with many unforced errors and badly executed plays in the first two sets. They were down, but not out.

“Almost all our hitters had negative efficency rates including myself and I think we already felt like we lost the game. But we didn’t give up quite yet, and we surprised STU with newfound energy and focus,” Gray said.

The Hurricanes stormed back to tie the game and force an extra set, which went down to the wire. With both teams trading points like wildfire, Holland hit a breaking point after a series of questionable calls, which completely threw off their momentum. At the end, the final result was a two-point difference – in favour of STU. The Tommies won the set 15-13 and used the momentum to upset USTA in the finals, winning the ACAA championship.

Lapointe was deflated by the loss, but he was proud of the fight the team put up.

“I was proud of how we were determined to come back after losing the first two sets,” Lapointe said.

Butler said the same mistake as the previous season happened – the team hit a peak a week too early.

“STU played a great match and broke a lot of their tendencies from the regular season. Some questionable rulings and critical errors were too much to overcome. Ultimately, we were at our best when it counted the most. Losing by two points in the fifth set is as close as it gets. It should illustrate how small the margin for error is,” Butler said.

Regardless of the disappointing result, there were positive remarks from everyone about how hard the team worked and who shined when it mattered most. 

Gray shouted out McBride as a reliable teammate and Butler as a trustworthy coach.

“He contributed so much to the team with just raw skill as both a defender and a setter, who of course set everyone up very well, but he always had confidence in me and was a setter I could always trust and somehow knew where I wanted the set placed consistently. Tyler is absolutely the reason I was able to score as well as I did last season.

“Brett (Butler) is an amazing coach. For a second year head coach, he brings so much passion and direction to the team. Brett makes it a goal to push every player to get better at every practice. With his experience as a recent All-Canadian, I trust him with every tip and lesson he teaches to me and my teammates. The most important trait Brett has exhibited is how much he strives to make us all better people. The way he has pushed me to be a leader and how he wants all his lessons about hard work and focus to translate to help make us better people throughout the rest of our lives as well,” Gray said.

Lapointe had many great things to say after his final season as a Holland Hurricane.

“Communication is key when serve receiving and you have to have good teammates (Gray and Pineau) to make it successful. McBride and I always had good chats and conversations on the court. Brett (Butler) is so committed and passionate about the men’s volleyball team and he knows how to talk to me as a player and a person to make me better. Brittany (States) and Kalie (MacKinnon) were also a great support team on the bench and always kept things fun and interesting!

“I have gained so many lifelong friends and connections through Holland College and the men’s volleyball program. I don’t think it will ever fully leave me. I felt the need in my own life to finish off my five years with a good full, injury-free season and I think I accomplished that. I tried to rehab as quickly as possible to get back on the court, help new players with my experiences, and leave it all out there.

“Thank you to my family who always supports me in my athletics, academics, and personal life. Thank you to Brett, Brit, and Kalie who were awesome coaches and better friends. Thanks to Holland College for trusting in my abilities as an athlete and a student. My time at the college was always positive and taught me a lot of life lessons. Thank you to the ACAA for seeing my commitment and love for the game and rewarding me for my hard work. It was a great ride!” Lapointe said.

Butler called Lapointe a pillar of the program.

“Marcus Lapointe was, in my opinion, the top libero in the league. His dependability was a key part of our foundation. He loves volleyball. If he wasn’t playing, I fully believe he would’ve been in the gym helping the team,” Butler said.

Looking forward to the 2024-25 season, Butler said it can’t get here fast enough.

“Every year has a lot of turnover, so expect some new faces to come in and make a name for themselves. With another team, Dal AC, joining the league, we need to work hard to remain competitive. Now, two teams don’t make the playoffs. 

The goal remains the same, get better every day. Be at our best at the end of the year. It’s difficult to gauge our roster until we see everyone in the gym at the same time. The individual talent can look great on paper, but it will all depend on how we come together as a team,” Butler said.

So far, the team has announced multiple recruits, including a plethora of Newfoundland talents, setter Liam Galway, libero Joel Keats, and outside hitter Cole Freeman. 6’3” right side Lucas Lavigne will join the team from Bathurst, N.B.

As for who’s returning, one name has been confirmed – Carson Gray will be back. He said fans should anticipate success and entertainment moving forward.

“Looking forward towards the 2024-25 season, I only feel more confidence and more drive to get that ACAA championship. We are going to have a lot more returning players next year that I already know I can count on and I know that we will all get better over the offseason and during the next season leading up to the championships.

“Our incoming team is going to be filled with dedicated athletes that are going to put on a show of passion and performance to represent Holland College and our volleyball program. Nothing would help bring up our energy on the court like a loud fan base to attend our games, get in the competition’s head, and support our team,” Gray said.

Butler said he encourages people who are interested to come to tryouts.

“Growth is one of our core values as a program. There’s been incredible growth of interest from potential recruits,” Butler said.

To conclude this story, we asked Lapointe about what he hopes for in the program’s future and how he’ll stay involved.

“I hope, and think, that the Hurricanes men’s volleyball team will continue to evolve with the help of Brett and a determined coaching staff. Recruiting to a smaller school with shorter programs can sometimes be challenging, but if the program continues to show success and outstanding athletes, it will just keep moving in a positive direction.

“I hope to be involved in the program at some level and I will always support the team and coaches. I think the future can be very exciting and I'm looking forward to seeing the successes in the near future, Lapointe said.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2024-25 ACAA men’s volleyball schedule in the coming weeks. Hurricanes men’s volleyball Booster Club memberships will also be available for purchase. 

Connect with the men’s volleyball ‘Canes at www.x.com/canesmvball and www.instagram.com/canesmvball.

For more information on the Holland Hurricanes, visit www.hollandhurricanes.com, www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes, www.x.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.

-30-