Cameron Gayleard: November's Zueike Male Athlete of the Month
Congratulations to Cameron Gayleard of Blazers Men's Volleyball on being selected the CMU Zueike Male Athlete of the Month for November. The fourth year left side captained his team to a perfect record to start the season.
From the time he first stepped onto the court in a Blazers uniform in the fall of 2019, Cameron Gayleard has been the kind of player a team can rely on game in and game out to be a consistent performer, and the Selkirk product has started this season no differently. Gayleard has been the definition of a lead-by-example captain, putting in extra hours of practice, time in the gym, and in the classroom, all leading to his high performance on the court. The two-time CCAA Academic All-Canadian currently sits in the top MCAC leaderboards in a number of offensive categories, including leading the conference in service aces per set, while also sitting top three in total kills and kill efficiency. Gayleard also routinely leads his team in passing percentage, showing that he works on all aspects of his game.
On a team full of attacking options, Gayleard consistently ranked as a top-two team kill leader in each of the team's seven matches throughout November, and earned himself MCAC and CCAA Male Athlete of the Week recognition following the Blazers' opening weekend sweep of the Providence Pilots in two rematches of last year's MCAC final. He scored 12 and 15 kills in those games respectively, setting the tone for what would be an undefeated first half, and a rise in the CCAA National Rankings from a #10 spot following pre-season up to match their record-high ranking of #8 by the end of the month.
CMU Men's Volleyball head coach Don Dulder leans on his stud left side to rally the team on a weekly basis, and understands the total package that Gayleard brings to the program, stating "Cam is one of our captains who not only demonstrates excellent leadership with his skills during games but also off the court by his dedication to the game and work ethic. It is no surprise that he performs at a high level each and every game. Cam is a top notch character player whose work ethic and passion for the game are contagious to teammates."
Halfway through the MCAC volleyball schedule, the Blazers sit atop the MCAC standings and nationally in the #8 spot, but still have a slate of nine more conference games before they can attempt to avenge their 2023 MCAC finals loss to the Providence Pilots, when playoffs begin February 24th. The winner of this year's title will earn a place at the 2024 CCAA National Championships hosted this season by last year's National Champions Camosun Chargers, March 7-10 in Victoria, British Columbia.
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