By Nour Alzahran
When the Cambrian Shield men’s volleyball team welcomed the four-time defending provincial champion Humber Hawks to Sudbury for the OCAA finals, few expected the home side to push the Ontario powerhouse to its limit. Yet that’s exactly what happened in front of a roaring crowd that filled every seat, balcony, and standing space inside Cambrian College this past Sunday. By the time the final ball hit the floor, the Hawks had secured gold with a 31-29, 20-25, 25-18, 25-13 victory—but it was impossible to overlook how brilliantly the Shield’s silver-medal performance shone
Humber arrived with an imposing résumé: a 16-2 regular-season record, dropping only 12 sets all year, and a streak of four straight OCAA titles. On the other side of the net stood a Cambrian lineup blending three first-year starters, two second-year leaders, and a handful of determined veterans. Even earning a berth in the championship was a thrill for a program not many had pegged to go this far.
Yet, two and a half sets into Sunday’s title showdown, the Shield were trading point for point with the Hawks, cheered on by more than 500 fans who shouted in unison with every Cambrian kill, dig, and block. The evenly matched opening frames underscored how quickly the Shield had matured, transforming their underdog status into serious contention.
When it mattered most, Humber showcased why they’ve been so dominant, pulling away in the third and fourth sets to capture the gold. Even so, there was no sense of dejection from the Cambrian side. Rather, the Shield players embraced the moment—applauding the fans, exchanging handshakes with opponents, and soaking in the energy that had propelled them through an unforgettable season.
“That was incredible,” said second-year right side Liam Hansen, named to the championship all-star team alongside veteran middle Jason Diotte. “The atmosphere was insane—the crowd was so loud, and every rally felt like it lasted forever. I loved every second.”
Graduating senior Kurtis Brisebois, who leaves Cambrian with multiple OCAA medals (including two bronzes in previous years and now a silver), echoed the sentiment:
“Humber is a phenomenal team,” he acknowledged. “We stayed with them for two sets but ran out of steam. Still, it was special to be part of this run.”
For head coach Dale Beausoleil—named OCAA Men’s Volleyball Coach of the Year—the Shield’s trajectory this season was always about building for the final push.
“It’s all about progression and peaking at the right time,” he said. “I felt we did that, even if we didn’t quite have enough left in the tank. We went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country.”
A crucial aspect of taking on Humber was service reception. The Hawks’ lightning-fast serves had been dismantling opponents all season, and Cambrian knew they had to neutralize that threat.
“They serve bombs,” Beausoleil noted with a grin. “If we couldn’t pass, we couldn’t set up our middles or open up the right and left sides. But when our passing was on, we proved we could hang with them.”
At the start of the fall semester, few would have predicted Cambrian’s second-half surge. Integrating multiple rookies, the Shield initially focused on skill development and team chemistry. A winter break trip to Cuba for training, followed by a competitive tournament in Quebec, seemed to galvanize the group.
“We weren’t thinking about going undefeated in the second half—nobody expected that,” admitted Brisebois. “But once we clicked, we just kept improving every week.”
Riding that momentum, the Shield closed out the regular season on a ten-game winning streak (finishing 14-4) and advanced to the final by toppling the St. Clair Saints (25-14, 25-19, 15-25, 27-25) in the semis. Humber, meanwhile, looked every bit like a champion, steamrolling the Fanshawe Falcons (25-15, 25-17, 25-13) in the other semi-final.
While Humber secured another title, Cambrian won the hearts of fans who had packed the gymnasium. For the Shield players, the overwhelming support became a difference-maker, especially when facing the Hawks’ momentum shifts.
“It was absolutely electric,” Brisebois said. “If we gave up a few points in a row, the crowd noise kept us believing we could rally back.”
In the face of Humber’s relentless attack, Cambrian never folded—especially not in the final set, where, despite the score line widening, the Shield fought for every ball.
Reflecting on the season, Hansen summed up the emotional high that comes from taking on Canada’s elite:
“It’s so easy to get frustrated when you’re passionate about the game. But we reminded ourselves: We love volleyball. Why not enjoy every minute?”
Coach Beausoleil shared those sentiments:
“Even in that last set, we never gave up. We told the guys to soak in the atmosphere because this is so rare. They stayed positive, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Led by Coach Dale Beausoleil, the 2024-2025 Cambrian Shield men’s volleyball team included:
- Sam George
- Liam Sampson
- Cale Bast
- Cohen Gillett
- Jonus Obrigewitsch
- James Tse
- Liam Hansen
- Colin Lindner
- Alwin Anthony
- Ethan Lalonde
- Kyle Perreault
- Jason Diotte
- James Welsh
- Kurtis Brisebois
- Sebastien Tremblay
- Conor Dorsey
Assistant Coaches: Scott Thomas, Chris Chedore, Brielle Chicoine, Brock Peters
Though the Hawks hoisted gold, Cambrian’s silver was a testament to perseverance, camaraderie, and a resilience that made the entire college community proud. And for those who witnessed the Shield stand toe-to-toe with the province’s best, the takeaway was clear: sometimes, silver shines just as brightly.