The Briercrest men’s volleyball team is excited to announce the signing of Team Alberta leftside/libero Bryan Fountain for the 2016-17 season.

The 6’ 4” Barrhead, Alberta product brings size and experience to the Briercrest volleyball team.

Briercrest men’s volleyball head coach Nigel Mullan is excited to have Fountain on his team this coming year.

“We are thrilled to have a chance to work with Bryan,” Mullan explained. “He is a player that can do a number of different things well and contribute to a lineup in many different ways.  He competes hard and enjoys himself while he is competing.  I think he will be a great team player and help continue building a positive culture in our program.  I believe he will be a great fit and I am very excited that he will be wearing our colors this upcoming season.”

He has helped Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) to new heights, helping the school to a silver medal at provincials in both Grades 10 and 11 before captaining the team to gold in Grade 12. He was named Rookie of the Year in Grade 10 and co-MVP in Grade 11.

Fountain has also excelled on both the club and provincial level. He has been a team captain for FOG at every level that he has competed with them in, helping lead them to Provincial silver in both U16 and U17, while also helping the team to a Nationals bronze medal in his U17 season. He has competed for Team Alberta the last two years. He played left side for U16 Team Alberta winning a silver medal at Nationals by losing to the U17 Alberta team in the gold medal game. He followed that up by being the starting libero for the U17 Alberta team the following year. His team lost to the U18 Ontario team at the championship that year. He was then invited to the U17 Team Canada Selects Camp, which is a camp featuring the top 24 U17 players in Canada. He was voted the top U17 passer in Canada at the camp.

He is a multi-sport athlete, excelling in golf and badminton, winning provincials in golf in Grade 12 and ranked second in zones in badminton Grade 10.

Of all of Fountains athletic accomplishments he looks to this past year of high school Provincials.

“My favorite volleyball memory was winning high school volleyball provincials in my Grade 12 year,” he explained. “After coming second place in both Grade 10 and 11, and being the heavy favorites in Grade 11, it was tough always losing. At that point I had never won a major tournament. I had come second at every Provincials I had gone to, even second at a Western Canadian Championship. But to finally win in my Grade 12 year, the year we were the underdogs in the final was just amazing.”

Fountain has not only excelled on the court and grass, but also in the classroom, where he has been an honour roll student every year since Grade 7. He is also the Grade 12 representative for the students’ voice at BCHS.

Fountain explained what excites him about committing to play at Briercrest this fall.

“I am very interested in learning about how the body works, learning about tendons and ligaments, as well as the muscles and which muscles are working during various movements and how to train properly for various sports,” he said. “It's always something I have found fascinating. At Briercrest I plan to take General Studies, but take more of a Kinesiology route and take the steps to becoming a personal trainer or something along those lines. I also plan to take youth ministry. I would love to learn more about that as it is a dream of mine to go on a mission’s trip with Athletes in Action and work with youth from another country while teaching them about God, and playing sports.”

“The thing I am most looking forward to about Briercrest is the Christian environment where I will be able to grow as a believer,” he continued. “To be able to go to school in a setting with everyone having similar beliefs and being able to learn from professors that don't just care about you as a student but as a person as well. I'm excited that I get to continue playing volleyball at the college level. But most of all, it is meeting new people. The people at Briercrest are all so kind and caring; it’s like one big family there. That's what I'm excited about.”

Away from the court, Fountain has enjoyed travelling with friends and family.

“My favorite trip that I have been on: When I was in Grade 5, my family (Parents, older sister, older twin brothers, and I) went on a teacher exchange with a family in Switzerland, they lived in our house and we lived in theirs,” Fountain explained. “For a whole year I lived in Switzerland, going to school, completely immersed in the culture and the language. We traveled a lot that year, all throughout Europe. That year really helped me become the person I am today, it helped me become more independent and reliant on myself, having to learn the bus system by myself, in another language in the middle of a city. I'm very confident now and the year overseas really helped.”

“More memories would include all the trips with my family,” he continued. “Especially, with my twin brothers who are two years older than me. We get along incredibly well, always laughing together and just having a good time. I can't recall a single time in my life where we fought or were mad at one another. They are my best friends.”

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