Tornado volleyball standout headed to Mount Union
BUTLER TWP — Back surgery derailed a portion of Campbell Ray’s volleyball career.
The Butler senior did not let that physical setback end it.
Ray — who generally leads the Golden Tornado in assists each game — will continue his academic and volleyball career at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. He earned a collegiate opportunity despite a high school career that’s spanned only two years.
“I didn’t start playing volleyball until seventh grade,” Ray said. “My older brother (Jordan) played it and I’ve followed him around my whole life. Once I started playing, I fell in love with it.”
Ray didn’t play volleyball his freshman season. The back surgery cost him a year as well.
Butler coach Lew Liparulo doesn’t believe the relative lack of playing experience will hurt Ray in his efforts to perform at the next level.
“He’ll do really well,” Liparulo said. “Cam has a tremendous work ethic and he brings a lot of energy to the game. He’s got good athleticism and he’s a good student, too.”
Carrying a 3.6 grade point average at Butler, Ray plans to major in biomedical engineering at Mount Union.
The Purple Raiders have only had a men’s volleyball program for four years. Matt Mihelic has been the program’s only head coach and sports a 54-38 record there. He guided Mount Union to its first Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) title this season after taking it to the MCVL championship game last year.
Mount Union lost in the NCAA Division III Tournament this season to No. 3 Carthege (Wisc.), the defending national champion.
Also a member of the Steel City Volleyball organization, Ray has two former teammates from there — Seneca Valley graduates Luke Trzeciak and Caleb Dawson — already playing at Mount Union. Trzeciak led the Purple Raiders with 11 kills in their loss to Carthege.
“My goal has always been to go there,” Ray said of Mount UInion. “Their coaching staff is amazing and I love the work ethic the team shows. I feel like I can step in there and help out for four years.”
Brett Poirier has coached Ray for four years with Steel City Volleyball.
“Cam is a hard-nosed player, a good defensive specialist,” Poirier said. “Having two players on Mount Union’s roster he already knows and has played with is only going to benefit him. It will help him in the transition.”
Ray said he was impressed by how far the Mount Union program has come in four years.
“They play so well together,” he said. “I’m hoping to start for three or four years in college. I’m into the strategy of the game. I study that side of volleyball all the time and I’m hoping it will give me an edge.”
