The Holland College Athletics Department has named Angus MacDonald as the new head coach of the Hurricanes women's volleyball team.

MacDonald takes over for the outgoing head coach, Jonathan MacDonald, who has recently accepted a professional coaching position in Sweden.

“As an Islander, moving home to join the Hurricanes is a very exciting opportunity and I am extremely grateful to be given the chance to coach this talented and hard-working group of student-athletes,” shared Angus MacDonald.  “I look forward to continuing the success that has been established by my predecessors.  My goal is to build the program to excel at the national level.”

MacDonald enters the position with 15-years’ experience, having coached the varsity girls’ and boys’ programs at St. Michael Catholic High School in Kemptville, Ontario, leading them to 13 conference championships, five Eastern Ontario championships and a bronze at the Ontario provincial championships.

“I bring high-energy and a passion for coaching to the game. I value building strong relationships through mutual respect, creating a fun family environment where it is safe to challenge each other to be better each day, while focusing on hard work and skill development.  I look forward to our teams’ journey together.”

Ten years ago, MacDonald founded the Mission Volleyball club, growing the program from a single team to six teams, 75-athletes and 12 coaches, developing players from ages 10 to 18. He has coached at the 18U National Championships and the Sun and Surf Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. MacDonald is also a certified advanced development coach and school teacher.

“We are pleased to welcome Angus back to the Island and we feel he is a great fit for our program,” shared Holland College Director of Athletics, Albert Roche.  “He has devoted himself to building his skill-set as a coach and he impressed us with his plan to develop and unite our team as we head into a year highlighted by hosting nationals. Angus also has a solid background in education as well as competitive club volleyball that combine to make for his quick transition into our collegiate environment. To cap it off he is well connected and will excel in recruiting future student-athletes to our school. He is committed to a long-term relationship with our program and the development of volleyball in the province. We want to be seen as a destination of choice for young volleyball players making decisions on post-secondary in Canada.”

The Hurricanes are expected to host the 2022 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Championship at the Holland College McMillan Centre for Community Engagement in the spring, after the 2021 event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As Islanders we have a rich history in being a small province that doesn’t shy away from competition at the National level.  When I heard we were hosting the CCAA National Championship, I was extremely excited to be part of this experience and look forward to the challenge.”

The ‘Canes won the 2020 Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) championship for the first time in team history while the 2020-2021 season was cancelled.

“I think fans can expect an exciting defensive team with relentless pursuit that plays with heart.  A fun team with a dynamic offence, high-energy and resilient attitude.  I look forward to establishing a relationship with the Holland College community at large. The fans can be reassured that we will be representing the Hurricanes with pride.”

Connect with the women’s volleyball Hurricanes at www.twitter.com/caneswvball and www.instagram.com/caneswvball.

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

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