It’s been a busy last 12 months for right side Matt Campbell. The 6’6″ third-year has taken on an increased leadership role for the men’s volleyball team, and prepared in the offseason accordingly for what was going to be a change in sets and responsibility.
He was a starter at times last year, and had 29 kills through the first four games, but was in and out of the starting rotation afterwards. Taking on the role of super sub, he thrived down the stretch, recording 12 kills, three assisted blocks and two service aces during the conference playoffs.
His showing in the playoffs was one of the most talked about items amongst fans, and excitement was high for the man called ‘soup’ as the 2022-23 season approached.
Knowing he’d have another shot at being the main guy this year, the Glenlawn grad and former 16U national champ went to work on changing his body.
“Last offseason, I prepared myself a lot more than typical. I meal prepped every meal, was in the weight room four to five times a week and I just really tried to take care of my body this summer to be in the best shape I could coming into the pre-season,” he noted.
“A lot of time in the kitchen and a lot of time in the weight room. You don’t practice a ton in the summer, so it’s an opportunity to get yourself prepared for when you get back with the team. I spent a lot of hours doing that.”
Campbell consulted with team dietician Janelle Vincent, who helped him come up with a meal plan that included a lot of chicken, rice and broccoli. The results were positive leading into the pre-season.
“I felt the best I’ve ever felt. Just because you’re eating so much, you can recover so fast. I felt great. As the year goes along, you lose a little bit of weight, so I haven’t been able to maintain, but I came into pre-season bigger than I was.”
Campbell put on roughly 20 pounds, and came into training camp at 205 pounds. He’s dropped a bit of that now, but is still sitting at around 190. It’s helped him at right side, a position that’s usually saved for a team’s bigger, more powerful players.
Entering the second half of the season, soup is third on the team in kills, with 68, averaging 2.06 per set. He’s also third on the team in digs, with 38.
The season has come with its share of highs and lows. The third-year admits that he’s still working on his consistency, as he’s received more sets than ever before, recording 192 attacks so far. That’s already eight more than last season, with the back half of the year still to go.
His kill total is also a career best, ten more than last year thus far. There’s still plenty of work to do, but there’s no denying that when he’s on, the 4-8 Bisons are a dangerous team.
On October 29 for example, Campbell went off, recording a career-high 17 kills and .353 attacking percentage on 34 total attacks. Two weeks later, the Bisons upset UBC thanks in part to an 11-kill and .375 hitting percentage from the big man.
The key in both contests was confidence, and getting going early. It sounds simple enough, but it’s not a perfect science.
“You get a lot more balls, so you have a lot more opportunities to make those mistakes, but to also get those kills and useful points. It’s about being smarter with the shots throughout the game, and overall hitting efficiency,” he says.
“You’re expected to get a kill when it’s a one-on-one, so you just have to have the confidence to know that you’ve done it all week in practice, and you’ve had success in the game so far. Confidence is so huge. Once you get on a roll in a game, you feel like you can keep going and you want every ball. That kind of feeling is great to have.”
The Herd have dealt with injuries to their three top hitters all season, but have endured. They’re just four points out of the final playoff spot, thanks to a success by committee approach that’s seen 12 different players get on-court action in at least ten sets.
“The guys have shown a ton of resilience and the culture we’ve built within this team has been one of the best since I’ve been here,” Campbell says. “Any guy could go on the court, and it doesn’t feel like there’s a drop in play.”
Staying busy in the classroom
Meal prep wasn’t the only thing Campbell was busy with during the offseason. He also worked 50 hours a week for the Canada Border Service Agency. It’s a job that blends well with his major of criminology.
“I’ve grown up in a criminology and law family, so I just naturally gravitated towards that kind of stuff. I find the investigation side really interesting, and why someone becomes deviant. It’s been good so far, and it’s definitely given me some flexibility around volleyball.”
Campbell’s uncle is an RCMP sergeant, and his mom runs a human trafficking prevention program. He also helps out at times with fundraisers for the foundation.
“It is a family thing. My sister works for the company, my grandma was the founder of the foundation. Being at home, you hear all the stories and you learn a lot about the law world and what less fortunate people are dealing with. It just opens your mind greatly.”
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