MUN v-ballers stand tall for their team

Alex Barrett and Drew Stephens dish on the season and the importance of leadership

By Samantha Smith

The men’s volleyball team is building a competitive nucleus of talent.

Number 12 Alex Barrett, a St. John’s native, is the oldest member of the men’s team and has played volleyball for nine years, throughout junior high and high school. He has represented Newfoundland at the national level since 2006, including the Canada Games last year.

Drew Stephens, who wears number 2, also played on the Newfoundland and Labrador team at the Canada Games. He has played his past six years of volleyball at home in Sackville, Nova Scotia, and is a member of various provincial teams.

The Sea-Hawks finished their season with a record 1-17 over weekend of February 20 and 21 at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) League tournament in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Both Barrett and Stephens agree that the 2009-10 season was a slow one.

“We have always had the youngest teams by far, and with only two other teams in our conference it’s really tough to get the ball rolling,” said third-year Barrett. “We are progressing as a young team and we’ve shown we can compete with teams. We just need to get over the hurdle and start winning. Some of the pieces are there we just can't seem to fit them together.”

“Losing many games in my first year, I had to play out of my normal position which was a big adjustment especially at the CIS [Canadian Interuniversity Sport] level,” he said. “Our team as a whole is going in a great direction. We have shown at many times during the past two seasons that we can compete, we just need to work on consistency.”

Leadership is a common thread between both men, especially for Barrett. “Being the oldest player on the team comes with obvious responsibility: Keeping everyone in line, making sure things are done right, helping teammates with off-court issues all comes with being the oldest.”

Stephens concurs, adding that he learned a lot about leadership, commitment, and time management.

After completing their stint as Sea-Hawks, both Barrett and Stephens plan on continuing with volleyball, and coaching is in both of their futures.

The teammates also agree that their team shares a strong bond.

“The nucleus of our team has been constant for a while now, we’ve got the same few guys which have always been there, even before university,” Barrett explained.

Stephens and Barrett recommend trying the sport to anyone interested.

“Be prepared, as it is a massive commitment, and it is a lot of hard work, but anyone can do it if they organize their time wisely,” advised Stephens.

“I’d definitely say that hard work pays off,” added Barrett. “If you have your mind set on something you've got to go for it – life’s too short.”

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