Tommies Men's Volleyball Head Coach continues to add new pieces to his ACAA defending championship squad with the announcement of Liam Graves of Lower Sackville, NS and Liam Croft of Oromocto, NB.
At 6’3”, Liam Graves will bring athleticism at the net and will be a welcomed addition to an already dominant Tommies front-line.
A Lower Sackville, NS, native Graves has suited up for the Dartmouth Volleyball Club (2018-2019) and most recently was a key member on the Southside Kingsmen, one of the top teams in Nova Scotia during the 2019-2020 season.
It was his time with the Kingsmen that helped ignite his passion to play at the next level.
“Being a part of the Kingsmen was a real turning point of intensity and opened my eyes to how competitive volleyball can be played,” said Graves.
Graves was also a member of the 17U Team Nova Scotia squad that captured gold at the 2018 Atlantic Championships.
STU head coach Henri Mallet is looking forward to having an accomplished athlete of Graves caliber on campus.
“(Liam) Graves comes from a great club with some successful coaches and I know he is coming to our program with a good skillset and ready to compete. It’s never a bad thing when you can add a player that can excel both offensively and defensively (blocking) right out of the gate.”
Graves committed to the Tommies as they look to defend their 2020 ACAA championship and win their sixth title in eight years.
“Choosing STU was a pretty clear choice as this team has a lot of young talent and potential to do big things. I am happy to be a part of it and help as much as I can. I am prepared to work towards a national championship, and I have already adopted that mindset,” said Graves.
Liam Croft, a 6’6” athletic middle out of Oromocto, New Brunswick is the newest member to commit to the program.
Tall in stature, Croft will be a welcomed addition at the middle position - a group that is impressive on paper despite the departure of Adam Hamilton, who graduated in 2020.
Croft is joining veteran Garett Dickson (Miramichi, NB), Braden Cook (Adelaide, AUS) and fellow Oromocto, NB native Noah Tulk in the middle. This group is poised for big things in 2020-2021 according to head coach Henri Mallet.
“The addition of (Liam) Croft in the middle is going to be huge for us. He is very athletic for his size and has serious untapped potential. He gives the coaching staff great flexibility and having the ability to grow under our current middles is a great opportunity for him,” said Mallet.
A duel sport athlete, Croft also shined on the basketball court. He praises the coaching staff for their recruiting and getting him to fully commit to volleyball.
“In addition to how well the coaches recruited me, St. Thomas is close to home and they offer a great education program. I am looking forward to bettering my volleyball skills and help bring home a national championship.
Graves and Croft joins Jackson Pichurski (Calgary, Alberta) as additions to the Tommies for the 2020-2021 season.
Although competition has been cancelled for the Fall semester, the Tommies are hopeful to defend their Championship if and when the ACAA returns to play in January 2021. STU Programs will have the opportunity to hone their skills with training starting in October.