MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: LAKERS BOOST THEIR OUTSIDE DEPTH WITH ADDITION OF MASON

The Nipissing Lakers men’s volleyball team continues to amass talent this off-season, building up their depth on the outside.

The Lakers are excited and proud to announce the addition of left side Andrew Mason, who will join the program for the 2025-26 OUA season.

Making his way to Nipissing from the Barrie Elites Volleyball Club on the Phoenix 18U boys team, Mason is excited for the challenges ahead of him.

“I am beyond excited to join such a tight-knit group of guys. I have been dreaming about joining a positively driven team and after practicing with the guys, I love the environment,” he said. “I love the trust coach Eric puts in his athletes to take risks instead of playing it safe. And I love the intensity of the team’s training. Even if it’s a simple drill like a butterfly, the whole team puts in maximum effort to perfect the aspects of each drill.”

Enrolling in the BPHE program and looking to education at Nipissing, Mason is looking forward to the academic side of things, along with athletics.

A product of Alliston, ON, Mason is also an accomplished track and field athlete, along with a successful competitor in the pool, competing at OFSAA in multiple swimming events.

He’s confident in his skills and abilities and is anxious to show his teammates and the Lakers fans what he’s capable of.

“As a player, I would describe myself as an adaptive leader, I recognize people’s personality traits very well and can help in the best way possible. I love to bring energy to the court and then the bench because they feed off of each other to create a flow,” Mason stated. “I think my strengths on the court are my attacking and defence. Defence is one of my favourite aspects of volleyball and I always love to improve on it. The thrill of a scrappy play is just something I will never be able to get over.”

Lakers head coach Eric Yung is thrilled to add Mason to the program and looks forward to working with him during his career at Nipissing.

“Andrew really impressed our coaching staff during his recent visit to campus. He is already physically built for the OUA game and possess strong fundamentals,” Yung said. “His attitude and character stood out the most as he didn’t shy away from challenges. We are thrilled to add another young man with strong character and ambition.”

While there will be adjustments and a learning curve, Mason is confident his abilities and the team’s trajectory as he joins the program.

“I expect the team to help make the transition to the university lifestyle as smooth as possible. I expect them to be there for me for questions I may have when entering my freshman year. As for myself, I expect myself to learn as much as possible during my time with the Lakers,” Mason explained. “I will put in 110 per cent effort all the time, as I am doing so right now in my club season. It is such an amazing opportunity to get the chance to become part of the Lakers family and I will not take that for granted.”