Our very own Koppers wins Ken Davies

Brandon Koppers is the winner of the 2013 OVA Ken Davies Award

Originally published in the Ontario Volleyball Association “Ontario Championships 2013” pamphlet.

Brandon Koppers came late to volleyball, having started playing soccer at a mere four years of age. By 11, he was on a rep team as a mid-fielder. “I played with that team until it folded just before I started high school,” he recalled. “I’ve always enjoyed competitive sports, so I really missed competing.”

It was while attending Christ the King Secondary School in Georgetown that he was urged to try playing club volleyball by his grade 9 coach, Ms. O’Brien. “I looked into the Pakmen Club in Mississauga, but unfortunately their tryouts were already done, so I decided to join a development league that they ran to try and improve myself.”

After only two sessions, he got the call from Pakmen coach Kelly Smith. But he still had a lot to learn. “At the beginning of my first session with Pakmen, I was the worst player on my team. I worked relentlessly to get better, because I loved to play the game.”

Smith also had a lot to do with his improvement. There was a memorable match at Porvincial Championships. “Our team was losing by a lot and was getting frustrated. My coach told me to go in and I remember him saying ‘Bring energy’.

“This was one of the first times I had been on the court that tournament and I did a great job. We still lost, but I was able to bring us back and help us compete. It was after this game that my coach decided that I would be a starting middle hitter.”

Pakmen have made a lot of noise in the years since, winning gold at OVA tournaments, claiming a National Championship and most recently winning a tournament in Rochester, N.Y.

Koppers played for Team Ontario last summer and will be off to university come fall. He hopes to make the Junior National Team and to eventually play for Team Canada. Playing pro in Europe is another of his dreams.

As for winning the award, he says, “I am very honoured to have been nominated and that the OVA has selected me. It is amazing to be recognized to this degree for doing something that I really love doing.”

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