Aspiring doctor Josh Aucoin has already examined his Atlantic champion Sainte-Anne Dragons’ performance in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association men’s volleyball championship.
The team’s star setter from Bedford even has a prescription for greater success in future national appearances for the Dragons, who went 1-2 at this year’s CCAA championship in Toronto.
“It was a super, great experience in the sense that we got to see the calibre of volleyball in the rest of Canada and in the bigger provinces,” said Aucoin, a pre-med student at Université Sainte-Anne in Church Point.
“It was an adjustment for us. We had to learn how to be mentally ready to play at that level of competition. I think that will help us a lot for next year. We even got invited to a tournament in Ontario next year, with some of those teams that were at nationals. So, playing at that level more often will help us so much for next year and, hopefully, we can get back to nationals.”
'Kind of stung'
The Dragons experienced some of those growing pains in their opening 3-0 loss to the host Humber Hawks, before losing a 3-1 battle with the Vancouver Island Mariners and finishing with a 3-1 victory over the Providence Pilots of Manitoba in the seventh-place game.
“The first game against Humber, it wasn’t our best performance and it kind of stung, just because we were more shocked by the calibre of competition,” said Aucoin, 20. “I think it was more of a problem that we don’t face big teams and technical teams like that year-round. When we got the ball in rally with them, we were able to keep up very well. We just weren’t mentally used to playing against such a high level of competition for that long.
“It was an important learning experience for us to see that level. And as the tournament progressed and we became more used to playing at that high level, we became much more comfortable.”
The Dragons were most comfortable two weeks earlier when they won the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association championship on their home court. In a packed gym, the regular-season champions defeated the Holland Hurricanes of Prince Edward Island to capture Sainte-Anne’s first ACAA conference banner since 1997.
“That was a special moment, for sure,” Aucoin said. “I think it was even more special for the school, just knowing that it had been 26 years since the (Dragons’) last ACAA championship.
“We all had something to prove this year. We all knew for the last two years that this team could be something special. But it was really nice to accomplish that as a team and put a banner back on the wall after such a long time.”
'Perfect fit'
Before he came to Sainte-Anne three years ago, Aucoin represented Nova Scotia as part of provincial teams. He also played high school volleyball with Sommet.
He was undecided and considered staying close to home, perhaps playing with the Dalhousie Tigers of Atlantic University Sport, until Dragons coach Jason Melanson showed strong interest and recruited Aucoin to Sainte-Anne.
“He offered me a spot on the volleyball team and everything lined up,” said Aucoin, who was attracted to the pre-med program and a French education. “It’s really worked out for me so far. Sainte-Anne was the perfect fit for me.
“One of the other reasons I came here is because Sherbrooke university in Quebec has a med program and Sainte-Anne has reserved seats with that university. I have one more year here and then I’ll look at applying to med school at Sherbrooke and, hopefully, playing volleyball there as well.”
On the court, Aucoin is already the doctor in the house. His cerebral play has been most effective as a setter, complementing fellow Sainte-Anne mainstays like Jeremy Bourque, Braidey Spinney and Alec Cottreau, a two-time all-Canadian.
“My goal is just to be steady and put my guys in the best position they can be to score,” Aucoin said. “It helps to have connections with each person, knowing what ball they like. For instance, Jeremy, our middle, likes the ball a little bit higher. Braidey, our left-side (hitter), likes the ball a little more off the net, and Alec likes getting a fast, quick set. So, I have to know all those things.”
Aucoin has been a setter since he began playing volleyball in Grade 6. He likens the position to a quarterback in football or a point guard in basketball.
“The reason I like being a setter is because you’re in on every play,” he said. “You’re touching every second ball. The thing about a setter is that you know you’re doing your job well when everyone is getting big kills and no one is really noticing you, because the only time you’re really going to notice a setter is if they’re not doing their job, they’re messing up, double-touching.”
'Instant connection'
The athletic Aucoin, six-foot-one and 170 pounds, has also helped the Dragons off the court. He recommended the program to his first cousin, six-foot-five Oliver Rutherford of Dartmouth. Rutherford, 18, stood out this year in his freshman season with Sainte-Anne.
“It was awesome, playing with my cousin,” Aucoin said. “I pushed pretty hard to convince Oliver to come here, so I was super happy when he decided to come. We had been playing together in the backyard for many years now, so as soon as he came here, it was an instant connection and he made such a big impact on our program. Because we were always lacking a second middle, moving people who weren’t actually a middle to that position. But when Oliver came in, he’s a true middle and really filled that gap for us. He was super steady all year. Especially at nationals, he played amazing.”
Aucoin has an inside track on potentially recruiting another college prospect. His brother Ethan, also a setter, is a Grade 11 student at Sommet and plays with the Tigers U18 club in Halifax.
Josh Aucoin missed his own Grade 11 volleyball season because of spinal-fusion surgery in his lower back. His subsequent rehab and recovery preceded the COVID-inflicted sports disruptions, so his college success since then has been all the more remarkable.
“It took quite a long time to rehab,” he said. “But I’m happy now to be feeling 100 per cent and back to playing.”
