The Capilano University Blues men’s volleyball team currently sits second in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PacWest) conference with a record of 9-3. In their final two games before the Christmas break against the Douglas Royals, the Blues took both matches they played from the Royals winning them 3-2 and 3-1.

You might be asking yourself why am I telling you about a North Vancouver university volleyball team. It is because one of the Blues starting middles is an F.H. Collins Warriors alumni and Whitehorse native Max Clarke. It is Clarke’s second year with the team, and first year starting.

Clarke did not get recruited to play volleyball for the Blues, rather he walked onto the team at tryouts.

“It was my third year out of high school when I joined the team,” said Clarke. “I had offers from places when I was in my final year of high school because I went to the Western Canada Games, but I didn’t take any. I went to the University of Victoria instead, and then I took a year off, and then choose to go to Capilano.

“I had a friend from up here (Whitehorse) that knew the assistant coach and he said why don’t you show up for practice, and I was offered a spot on the team after that practice.”

Clarke developed his skills here in the Yukon. He says the experiences a player gets on Games’ teams, makes up for the territories weak spots in the sport.

“The biggest advantage coming from the Yukon, because I think competition is not there really,” said Clarke, “you have your school league which is fine, you get a lot of practice but it may not be the best practice and then you do get good practice with the club. But what? You get two quality matches when players down there have tournaments every weekend for two months. That sort of development is definitely stunted.

“Where it does excel is the opportunities you get to play on Games teams, Western Canada Games, Canada Games, because that’s an amazing opportunity. None of the guys on my team have ever heard of that or done that. It’s great practice. A lot of the time you are out of your league, but that’s when you learn the most. There are also great coaching staffs here in the Yukon.”

In Clarke’s first season at Capilano, he played as an outside hitter before being moved to the middle.

“We had an injury right after Christmas to our third string middle so they threw me in as a practice middle,” said Clarke.

“Then after he got back I was still there so they figured they got to use this guy as a middle because he’s got the height. I got way more playing time when I switched to the middle, but still not starting.”

Clarke, who stands at six feet four inches, says the PacWest is not a tall league for middle attackers.

The Capilano Blues have one more loss at this time than they did last year. However, Clarke says there is a better vibe surrounding the team.

“I think there is a better feeling going into the second half of the season than last year,” said Clarke. “Last year didn’t go that well in the end, so I think there is a lot more confidence in our team.”

There is a lot of carry over from the players from last year, so another year of experience and chemistry building has led to an increase in confidence.

“Last year we were a very young team, we had one third year and heaps of second years and those were our veterans,” said Clarke. “A lot of those second years are back and are now third years.”

One of the two fourth-year players on Capilano is setter Simon Friesen. Clarke says the team runs through its setter.

“Our team is really built around him,” said Clarke. “I don’t think we win any games where he’s not playing well, full stop, there is no one else on our team like that.”

As the season has gone forward, Clarke says he and Friesen are developing better chemistry together.

“Recently, our connection has come a long way,” said Clarke. “Last year I don’t remember us having too much chemistry. It’s all about practice squad versus starting squad, so last year I had very few opportunities to be on the same side of the court as Simon. This year it’s changed; I get a lot more practice reps with him.

“It’s translated to games, he definitely has a lot more confidence in me, compared to last year at any time, volume over the course of a game and setting me in clutch situations.”

Clarke says the Blues are a defensive team, and that is part of their identity. They get after it on defence and make smart shots to open space or off the blockers hands.

Camosun sits atop the PacWest standings (10-2), followed by Capilano and Douglas, who share the same 9-3 record.

Heading into the second half of the season and playoffs, Clarke says every team in the top four of the standings has a chance.

“The top four teams all have a chance at the title,” said Clarke. “I think we are probably the least hyped of the four teams. People will always underestimate us physically and historically. Last season was a bit of breakout season as far as playing with the top teams. So the expectation is definitely lower, if someone wrote a power ranking they would probably put us fourth.”

Clarke says people need to look no further than the Blues last series of the first half of the season for evidence that they are in fact a contender in the PacWest.

“I think you have to look at the last series of the first half of the year,” said Clarke.

“That was a big series with a 2-0 win over Douglas, that definitely proves we are a contender.”

Even though some people may underestimate the Blues’ chances of winning the title, Clarke says it is something the team is going to have to embrace.

“I think we will have too,” said Clarke, when asked if his team is embracing the underdog role. “I think last year it all went downhill when we stopped doing that because we were in first place most of the season.”

Clarke took a year off between his stints at the University of Victoria and Capilano. Outside of some fall league, he says he didn’t spend much time playing volleyball. When it came to tryouts for Capilano, he said he was a little nervous, but he had the technique and the skills there, from his high school training.

Right now, Clarke says he doesn’t have much involvement in the Yukon volleyball scene, but if he finds himself back in Whitehorse after university is finished, he would like to coach a team.

It will be a short holiday break for the Capilano Blues. The team goes on the road in early January to play the Vancouver Island University Mariners, who currently sit in fourth place in the PacWest standings, in a two-game series.

In the middle of January, the Blues will get to test themselves against the top team in the league, the Camosun College Chargers in a two-game home series.

If you wish to watch Clarke and the Capilano Blues in action, games can be streamed online from the PacWest website.