Chargers men's volleyball squad undaunted by sixth place standing
November 26, 2009
Upon first glance at the BCCAA standings, it might appear that the situation is a dire one for the Camosun Chargers Men's Volleyball team. With a 3-4 record, the team is currently tied for sixth place – a spot that might be considered uncharacteristic of the defending Provincial Champions and 2008-2009 CCAA National Bronze Medalists. But as Head Coach Charles Parkinson explains, things are not as bad as they may seem and the squad is still very much in the running.
“We have faced three of the toughest teams in the league in the first half and to be just under 50% at this early stage, while not the best, is not as bad as it sounds,” he remarked. “We have actually played some very good volleyball, but have lacked the finish at the end of sets to close things out. This is what time and experience give you as the season wears on and I am confident that with continued hard work and patience we will find the form that enables us to snatch victory when we see the finish line.”
Looking at last year's standings, it is clear that Coach Parkinson is an avid proponent of the old adage, “slow and steady wins the race.” The Chargers floated between fourth and sixth place well into the second half of the season before entering Provincials as the fourth-seeded team, winning the Championship and moving on to Nationals where the program earned its second National Bronze Medal.
So what is it that the Chargers have to do to serve up the wins? Coach Parkinson believes the answer lies in two key areas.
“Our side out game has been pretty solid, as has our defense,” he explained. “But we have struggled a bit in two areas – blocking and transition. In transition we are still making a few too many errors. At this level you can get away with making four or five errors per set and still win, including missed serves, but any more than that and you are in trouble. In fact, you have to rely on the other team committing more errors than you in order to win, and against the top teams in the league this just isn't going to happen. The other area that has not been quite as strong as would like is blocking. We have been focusing on this for the last week and a half and are starting to make gains, particularly with our middles closing to the outside men.”
Look for the team to be very focused on these two areas against the Capilano Blues this weekend as the Chargers host their final matches of the 2009 Fall season at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence on Camosun's Interurban campus (4371 Interurban Road).
- Friday, Nov. 27 Camosun vs. Capilano Women at 6pm; Men at 7:45pm
- Saturday, Nov. 28 Camosun vs. Capilano Women at 1pm; Men at 2:45pm
Contact
Charles Parkinson, Head Coach
Chargers Men's Volleyball
250–888–3174
cparkinson@shaw.ca