After a quick chat with Mountain Athletic Club (MAC) 15U volleyball coach Paul Guagliano, it’s easy to see why his six-foot-two-inch Milton standout finished the season with a couple notable accolades.

“He’s been a team leader — in skill, effort and attitude. I’ve been lucky to have him on my squad the past two years ” said Guagliano of Brendan Kewin, whom he recently named team MVP.

The 15-year-old Milton District High School student earned recognition beyond MAC circles as well this spring, having garnered the OVA’s Award of Excellence during the provincial championships in Waterloo.

The Hamilton-based team didn’t quite live up to its second-place ranking there — finishing a somewhat disappointing fifth — but what success it did achieve was due largely to Kewin.

Serving as a vocal co-captain and go-to star — who Guagliano believes is among the province’s best blockers, at his age level — the local teen led MAC to wins over the Kingston Segada, Mississauga Pakmen, Niagara Rapids and Durham Attack en route to the quarterfinals. There Kewin and company forced a third set out of the Cobourg Breakers — beating them 25-20 in game two — before being eclipsed 15-12 in the tiebreaker.

“We had a good team this year and did well, just not as well as expected at provincials,” said Kewin, who thanks to a strong vertical leap and formidable overall game led the team — which included Campbellville’s Josh Searle — to a pair of bronze-medal performances in tournament play this past season.

Added Guagliano, “Brendan’s our strongest, most consistent hitter, and on defence he has great vision and reaction speed for one of our big guys.”

A key member of the Milton District Mustangs junior team that captured the Halton Tier 2 title last fall, Kewin heads overseas at the end of the month to be part of a Hamilton-based team that’ll compete at the International Children’s Games in Dubai (south of Persian Gulf).

“He will undoubtedly be a superstar (there),” said Guagliano.

insidehalton.com

MAC's 18U girls coach Mike Fuchs, OVA President Kristine Drakich, and MAC's press relations coordinator Nancy Castura.

Two members of the Mountain Athletic Club have been recognized by the Ontario Volleyball Association.

MAC’s 18U girls’coach Mike Fuchs and volleyball media co-ordinator Nancy Castura were recipients of Volunteer Recognition Awards at the recent Ontario Volleyball Association’s OVAtion Banquet for long-time service.

Fuchs, a resident of Glanbrook, has a lengthy winning record as a coach in volleyball at the club and high school levels. He coached the 13U, 4U and 15U Waterdown Raiders girls from 2003 to 2006 and then continued with MAC) volleyball in Hamilton as coach of the 16U, 17U and 18U girls from 2006 to 2009.

At the secondary school level, Fuchs coached junior and senior boy’s high school teams and the midget girl’s teams at Christ the King Catholic school in Georgetown, from 2002 to 2004.

Since 2004 he has coached both the junior and senior boy’s high school teams and the midget girl’s teams at Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School in Stoney Creek where he teaches.

He is the founder and head coach of the Newman Volleyball Club (NVC) at Cardinal Newman. Players come from the school’s student body. The mandate of the club is to improve the quality of play within the school, so it is better able to compete for league and provincial championships.

Fuchs says his goal is to continue to promote the growth and development of volleyball in the city of Hamilton in various coaching capacities.

Castura, a Dundas resident, has been actively involved as a player, coach, professional administrator and/or volunteer since 1974. She was the OVA Program Co-ordinator from 1980-85 and then a Sport Office Executive Director at the Ontario Sport Centre in Toronto.

Over the past 15 years, she has volunteered in her local community with sports clubs in volleyball, soccer and basketball as a press relations contact and photographer. The past three years she has volunteered with MAC volleyball and the Mary Volleyball Program (MVP) Developmental
House League.

She enjoys working with dynamic coaches committed to the development of young aspiring athletes and is looking forward to another exciting season with the MAC organization.

Hamilton Scores

MAC finished the tournament with a perfect 9 – 0 record, finishing each round robin and playoff game in straight sets. They are a powerful and fun team to watch.

In the Gold medal match against a strong and feisty team, Carrefour de l’Acadie (Dieppe), MAC, won the first set 25 – 15, then they had a bit of a blip in their performance and lost the second set, 22 – 25. They came back and won the third set by a convincing 15 – 6 score.  Of all of the 116 teams there, both 14U boys and girls, 15U girls and 16U girls and boys they recorded the second lowest points against average  – an average of 13.6 points!  This average was secured in the round robin and Power Pool matches.  They were a dominant force at this tournament.

Read more from Bernie Pulchalski, St.Catherines Standard