It was a reunion nearly two years in the making when Jayden Fathers arrived in Canada.
He was greeted at the airport by his older brother Regan earlier this summer and the duo are set to embark on a special journey this season.
All the way from East Fremantle, Australia, the Fathers’ brothers will team up on the court for the RDC Kings volleyball team this year.
“I haven’t seen him in over two years when he arrived at the airport I think– when we crunched the numbers. He was 16 when I last saw him,” said Regan, a fifth-year outside hitter back for his swansong at RDC after a brief stint at the University of Calgary last year.
“It’s definitely good having him here. He’s a great volleyballer and I think he’ll bring a lot to the squad in further years and even this year.”
Jayden, 18, showed some promise with the Australian Junior National team and the multi-position hitter is expected to follow in his brother’s footsteps.
Regan had a remarkable season the last time he wore a Kings uniform in 2016-17. He helped them win a national title and was MVP at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Championships. He was the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference leader in kills with 316 in 22 matches and nearly four kills-per-set.
Down the road, Kings head coach Aaron Schulha envisions Jayden bringing that kind of talent to the floor at RDC.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to come, train and play with his brother. If he doesn’t dress all that much this year, he’ll take one of those international spots and be a high volume guy down the line,” said the Kings head coach.
With ACAC rules allowing only three international players to dress, that might get a little complicated for Schulha. Regan, fourth-year Adam Turlejski and setter Thomas Wass will occupy those spots on most nights. The Kings head coach said there will be points where they’ll get Jayden in the lineup to help him develop over the course of the season.
“We can only dress three at a time, so that will need a little massaging. Jayden is a first-year kid and we’ve had that discussion before,” added Schula.
Kings volleyball will host its invitational tournament from Sept. 28-30, before starting the regular season on Oct. 12 against Lethbridge College.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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