Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Carsten Bergeron remembers the night well.
While the Griffins men's volleyball team lost a close one 3-1 to the Mount Royal University Cougars in Calgary on Feb. 19 last season, the middle blocker was on fire.
In 24 attacks, Bergeron had 13 kills with only one error, recording a .500 hitting percentage and breaking the program record for the best single match efficiency by a rookie (minimum of 20 attempts).
"I remember that game," he said. "What made the difference in that game is I was just finding ways to score. As a middle, the ball's not going to be perfect, so it's just finding ways to score when the ball isn't in the perfect spot.
"Balls were just coming my way and I just kept hitting them to the floor. It was a great night," he added. "I wish I could say I knew what it was. This year, my goal is to hit .500 on the season, which is pretty high. But I think I can get there."
Bergeron is currently sitting at a .342 percentage, which is tops among Griffins' attackers. Griffins head coach Brad Poplawski loves to hear about his second-year middle's lofty goal this semester.
"You want guys that want the ball and want to contribute in big ways," he said. "That's something we're looking for is how to get him even more involved. He's proven he can handle a bigger and bigger load. As an athlete, you do a good job with the role or responsibility you have. When you can fulfil that role, you start to build on it. He's shown he can handle the volume he's getting and (we're looking to) find ways to get him even more involved offensively."
Bergeron and the Griffins will host the UFV Cascades on Friday (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday (4 p.m., both David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV).
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Beyond the sterling hitting percentage, Bergeron is third on the Griffins in kills (53) and leads the team in blocks (22) in 40 sets of work.
"One of the big things, too, is blocking at this level for a young middle is a challenge," said Poplawski. "The setters and attackers are so good. I've been really happy with his progression at the net blocking and defensively, as well. It's been nice to see him over the last two years in our program just continue to grow and build."
Carsten Bergeron hammers home a kill against Trinity Western on Dec. 2 (Eduardo Perez photo).
Bergeron and fellow second-year setter Jonah Karsten came into the program last year and took the position by storm, earning starring roles. They continue to play off each other, with rookie Seth Birkholz in the mix for playing time behind them.
"I think they complement each other well," said Poplawski. "I include Seth in there as well. They get along well and push each other in training. A lot of times, they ask to be matched up against each other. They're trying to push each to get better, which is good competition.
"They're a bit different players, they both have different strengths, but I think their skill sets do complement each other very well. I think that's a good thing where both guys are not just the exact thing. They bring different matchup opportunities for us."
A native of Clyde, Alta., Bergeron got into volleyball because of a strong school program in Westlock and it eventually led him to playing club for FOG Black, helping them win two national championships. That's where he met Karsten, so that relationship has been building for a long time.
"I think we've always been very competitive at practice, and we've always built each other up as players," he said. "I think it shows in our development."
NAVC DAY
Saturday's game is a special one on the calendar as the Griffins celebrate NAVC Day. Expect packed stands and a great atmosphere. The club program will also honour two Griffins athletes with scholarships.
In return, the Griffins will give back to NAVC by hosting them for a camp during their bye week.
"It's been a really good affiliation," said Poplawski. "As someone who coached and played in the NAVC system growing up, it's pretty cool to be affiliated with them at MacEwan.
"On a personal note, it's fun going to the club tournaments – U14 up to U18 – and seeing Griffins stuff on the court. Between matches, they're walking around in Griffins gear. From that perspective, it's really nice. Getting to work with some of their coaches in their system and obviously their president Sue Mohler, who has been really good to us."
Mohler's sons Matt (2012-17) and Jonathan (2017-20) – both setters – enjoyed productive careers at MacEwan.
"Saturday's always a pretty fun day," said Poplawski. "There's a lot of people at the gym. We're very appreciative of the scholarship they offer to our athletes. It's been really nice. We'll run our camp for them on our bye week in January, so that's another opportunity for us to give back to the volleyball community."
