Finch's return to volleyball a success
Jan. 11, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
Colin Finch may be in only his second season with the University of Regina Cougars men's volleyball team, but he's been around the block a few times.
"In terms of volleyball, he's not a veteran," Cougars head coach Greg Barthel said Saturday in reference to Finch, a 24-year-old Reginan. "In terms of life experiences, though, he is."
"I did some treeplanting in the wilderness for a couple of months and I'd been serving people in restaurants since I was 18 or 19," Finch recalled after Regina lost 25-19, 25-19, 25-12 to the visiting UBC Thunderbirds at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport. "But the biggest thing was having a kid. That forces you to mature quickly."
That would be Brielle, who was born in July of 2004 to Finch and his girlfriend, Karlene Phillips.
"We had Brielle right after I turned 19," Finch continued. "Most kids at that age are doing the bar scene or partying all the time. I was forced to make that commitment -- but it was worth it."
Finch, who graduated from Campbell Collegiate in 2003, had played volleyball in high school and tried out for the Cougars that fall. After he was cut, he realized it may have been for the best.
"I had to focus on school," said Finch, who's to get his business administration degree this spring. "My main focus was on getting a family started and getting Brielle a nice steady life.
"When she got old enough, I thought, 'If I don't do this (return to volleyball) now, then I'm never going to do it.' "
So the 6-foot-2 Finch tried out for the Cougars in the fall of 2008 as a walk-on -- and stuck despite playing nothing but campus rec volleyball since high school.
"I was a little nervous when I came out, but thankfully the hard work paid off," Finch said. "I had a goal and I worked out with that goal in mind. Brielle was older, too, so I could focus on it. I could get into the gym. I didn't have to get up at three in the morning."
"He was pretty raw, but he's a great athlete," Barthel noted. "He has learned quickly. Last year, we used him mostly as a serving sub. He started this year as a backup but, coming into this semester, he has developed into a starter."
That happened after the Cougars rejigged their lineup, moving Jamie Wilkins from left side to middle and plugging Finch -- who was backing up Mathew Brooks on the right side -- into the left-side spot.
Finch performed well in his new role at the Brian Mallard tournament in Saskatoon in the first weekend of January and followed that with solid play in the series against UBC.
On Saturday, he had six kills to raise his average in seven matches this season to 1.58, third-best on the team. He's proving to himself that he made the right choice in the fall of '08.
"I had a bit of an inner desire to do this," Finch said. "In high school, I always thought I'd eventually play in university. Luckily, I had a lot of support from my girlfriend. She said, 'If you don't do it when you have the chance, you'll regret it.' I really think I would have regretted it if I didn't come back."
Brooks had seven kills and eight digs to lead the way for the Cougars (0-10) on Saturday. Kyle Duperron had 14 kills for the T-Birds (3-7).
Regina returns to action Friday in Langley, B.C., against the Trinity Western Spartans.