Carter Bronson, a fourth-year libero with the Cascades is the kind of leader every team needs. If you attend a UFV men’s volleyball game, he can be seen right at the centre of the competition, encouraging his teammates and making big plays for the Cascades on the court.
This year has seen some changes for the Cascades, including new teammates and new coaching.
“It’s nice to see some new faces that are really there to grind out the work and give it their all,” Bronson said.
These changes have really meant something for the Cascades, as they’ve upgraded their poor 2018-19 record of 2-22 to a more respectable 5-17.
Along with this season comes the big move to the Canada West conference of U Sports afterwards, which presents some big challenges, according to Bronson.
“That is a tough one because we’re going to be facing a lot of teams that are a really high skill level, and they are established, you know? They’ve been there for a lot longer than we have, and I think that’s just a hurdle that UFV as a whole will have to face.”
However, Bronson says that isn’t insurmountable for the team. The team now has a weight trainer, Matt Chapdelaine, who will assist in bringing up the athletes’ levels of commitment and training.
“The only way that we could probably bounce back from this is putting in the extra work that other teams aren’t really doing … [Chapdelaine] is always there, so that’s pretty awesome. I never had that in my first three years.”
The move to Canada West is also exciting though, and offers new opportunities that players like Bronson have waited years to have, such as new opponents across western Canada.
“The biggest thing I think is probably being able to travel a lot farther than I ever thought we would with PacWest.”
Although the changes are significant, some things that won’t change with Bronson are his humility and his leadership, which he continues to work on. When asked about what continues to motivate him, Bronson responded in a way that shows his role on the team, crediting his teammates for driving him to be better.
“A huge part is just the guys, honestly. They’re a great group of guys. They help push me and especially in the weight room. Everything like that. They’re just always there. We’re always competitive with each other, so that’s really nice. I love the competitive atmosphere. That’s why I love playing in games a lot.”
Image: UFV Athletics
Photo: Carter Bronson
