CREDIT: FANSHAWE ATHLETICS
Fanshawe’s Mitch Berman (#10) sets the ball up at the net for a teammate. Berman and the Falcons are making a late push to make the playoffs.

Fanshawe's men's volleyball team had a rocky start to the first half of their season, but after resting during winter break and picking up some new recruits, they are looking to regroup and go after the last playoff spot in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association West division.

The problem many college teams have in this league is the high turnover rate. With few returning players who lacked experience and leadership, it was hard for the Falcons to find their rhythm. Since college programs tend to be much shorter than university, there is a constant flow of new players and the Falcons had difficulty finding the chemistry they needed to be contenders in the league. The first half of the season proved to be shaky for the Falcons, who had a three win/six loss record at the end of December.

Luckily for Fanshawe, on and off player Stephan Regier, a leftside power hitter, brought the experience necessary to a struggling team. “Steve really revamped the team mentally and physically,” said third-year player Mitch Berman. Regier, who is a native of Grand Bend, drives an hour each way to come to school sometimes finishing at 2 p.m. and waiting up to six hours for practice. This kind of dedication can only reap rewards.

And that dedication has paid off, as the Falcons now have a 6-8 record and have been slowly improving since returning from winter break. With only four games left in the season and their last chance to make the playoffs, the Falcons need to win every game and defeat the Mohawk Mountaineers in their season ending game, who hold the coveted last playoff spot.

For some players like Berman, this will be the last time they will play volleyball at this level before venturing out into the real world. “It just sucks that it's done. I am going to go as hard as I can in practice for these last few weeks because if I take it for granted right now I'll regret it later on.”

This isn't just about the end of the season, for players like Berman who are in their last year of their programs this is the last opportunity for them to go out on a high note at the end of their volleyball career. In addition to the players leaving, head coach Josh Westgate has announced that he is resigning as after six years and this will be his last opportunity to recoup a season that has been plagued with challenges.

“We're playing better as a team and we're playing well because of our ability to be better emotionally, said Berman.

The Falcons will continue their quest to capture the final playoff spot at their next home game on February 8 against Niagara.