In the far reaches of northern Ontario, where hockey traditionally reigns supreme, a small but ambitious volleyball club is rising to prominence - Sault Ignite Volleyball Club. Under the leadership of newly appointed Club Director, Dave Arbuckle, Sault Ignite is not only growing its competitive program but also fostering a community that transcends the sport itself.

Dave Arbuckle’s story with Sault Ignite began in an unlikely place: COVID-19. As the world came to a halt, Arbuckle found himself volunteering as an assistant coach for the fledgling Sault Ignite program, which had been founded just a few years earlier. From there, his involvement quickly grew from assistant to head coach, and then to the current role of Club Director. This fall marks Arbuckle’s first season as Club Director of Sault Ignite Volleyball, a program founded in 2019 that’s quickly become a lifeline for youth athletes in the north. He’s no stranger to the gym – he’s coached 17U and 18U girls for years – but stepping into an executive role has given him a new perspective.

When Dave Arbuckle talks about volleyball in Sault Ste. Marie, he’s candid about the challenges. he doesn’t sugarcoat them. But he also doesn’t hide his optimism. There’s a spark – one that reflects both the resilience of northern Ontario and the determination of a young club trying to carve out its place on the provincial stage.

“Volleyball is becoming bigger and bigger in the Sault,” Arbuckle says. “Especially the girls’ program. We’re still trying to develop that boys’ program. Boys here didn’t get to play volleyball in town until the last couple of years, like in high school. So it’s a little bit different. Boys are starting to come around to the sport. It's a slow build, but we're seeing more and more interest. High school volleyball is growing, and as more boys see the sport, they’re starting to appreciate how fast, dynamic, and exciting it is.”

However, with the growth comes the challenge of finding coaching staff. "The trick is finding the coaches who can help develop these players. We’re working on getting those resources in place," Arbuckle explains. "But I think in the next few years, we’ll see a substantial increase in the boys' program. Our goal is to have at least two boys’ teams next year and hopefully build from there.”

From those modest beginnings, Ignite has grown into a club that expects to field 10 teams this season, mostly girls but with one boys’ team, and plans to expand.

“We’ve grown into, I think this year we’re planning to field 10 teams,” Arbuckle says. “The goal is our competitive teams make sure we field a good solid competitive team that can go and compete and have fun. We do want the kids – not everything about the club is about winning. We want the kids to have a good experience, develop sportsmanship, be good citizens, be good role models for the other kids.”

Already, Ignite is seeing its first generation of alumni return to coach.

“We’re now to the stage actually where it’s really nice where we have some of the older kids who have graduated from the program coming back to help coach us,” Arbuckle adds. “That’s a perfect time where they just kind of cleared out – we’ve got that group that started when they were 13, transitioned out, and [are] coming back to help us.”

For most Ontario volleyball clubs, competition means an early morning drive, maybe a few hours down the 401. For Ignite, it’s different. One of the greatest challenges for any northern Ontario volleyball club is the geographical isolation. For Sault Ignite, this means long road trips to tournaments, often requiring hours of travel just to get to the nearest competition. For the athletes, the commitment is intense—sometimes, players drive over an hour and a half just to attend practice. And yet, despite the challenges, the passion for volleyball in the region continues to grow.

“I don’t think many people in southern Ontario understand that,” Arbuckle says. “Like, I’ve had kids driving an hour and a half just to come to practice. That’s the commitment of some of these kids. They want to play. They want to be there. They want to compete.

People don’t realize how hard it is to travel in northern Ontario. You’re competing against sports like hockey, soccer, and football, and volleyball is still trying to make its mark. But the kids in the north are committed - they’re proud to represent Sault Ste. Marie, and I think that gives them an edge. They have to work harder to make it.”

Tournament travel can be grueling. Barrie and Oshawa are regular destinations; a trip to Niagara feels monumental, and although Windsor or Sarnia may seem like a daunting road trip, Ignite circumvents the lengthy navigation through the province by cutting through the United States by way of Michigan.

“When you go to a coach and say, hey, you’re going to travel four times a year, and on average you’re heading 700 kilometers one way for a trip, some people aren’t willing to take on that sort of commitment,” Arbuckle explains. “That’s hard. But I’ll give OVA credit – they’re pretty good about putting us in reasonable locations.”

Travelling those distances creates both obstacles and pride.

“These kids are investing a lot of time to be traveling around the province,” Arbuckle says. “So they bring that energy and tenacity when they’re going to these events to say, hey, I’m here and I’m representing Sault Ste. Marie. I came from a long way away. I’m proud of my club. And I want to show that we are a solid volleyball program in the north.”

Despite the logistical challenges—long drives, limited venues, and the financial pressures of traveling across the province—Arbuckle remains focused on the future. "We’re working with Sault College to develop a volleyball program and hopefully run camps. We’re also trying to build relationships with other northern clubs, like North Bay and Sudbury, so we can support each other and build volleyball in the north."

With tryout season in full stride, for Arbuckle and his coaches, verticals or hitting percentages isn’t necessarily at top of mind.

“Are you cheering on other people at the tryout? That was a big one,” he says. “We were trying to encourage the girls, and the coaches are going around cheering all the girls on. Set that tone of, hey, we’re all in this together. Maybe we won’t make a team, but you demonstrate your commitment to everyone by how you interact with everyone on the court.”

That sense of togetherness extends to the stands, where parents set the tone.

“They’re critical, right?” Arbuckle says. “Because they’re going to set the tone for their kids. Our expectation of our parents is you are setting that example for the kids – we’re here to compete, to try, to work hard, to play fair, to be good citizens at the same time.”

He points to small but meaningful examples - like volunteer clinics for parents learning to keep score where families step in to support the club.

“Last year, our managers said, hey, parents, we’re hosting a clinic on how to do the score sheet. We’re bringing score sheets and we’re going to watch a scrimmage or a game and we’re going to score and I’m going to teach you how to do it. So every parent, or at least half the parents there, know how to run the score sheet.”

What does success look like for Sault Ignite?

“At the upper levels, our success is going to be basically, hey, can we advance our position up the OVA standings? I want us to compete hard at every event, be able to walk off the court with our heads held high that we competed our best and didn’t give anything away to any team in the province,” Arbuckle says.

For younger athletes, it’s about experience:

“Some of the development teams, I just want you to get the experience,” he explains. “I want you to have that OVA experience—that traveling around, meeting kids from all over the province. To be honest, I’ve gone to, I don’t know how many OVA events, and it’s been fantastic every time. The coaches are fantastic, the kids are great, the officials are great, everyone is friendly. It’s wonderful.”

Arbuckle recalls one match in particular—a long, exhausting three-setter that ended in heartbreak but revealed the team’s character.

“I swear this match went to like 35,” he remembers. “We were there on this court with all the other teams waiting to play around us watching. They don’t know us. They don’t know our opponents. And you hear the kids that don’t know you gasping and cheering and clapping from these teams that we don’t know. Unfortunately, I think we lost again. But to have all those teams basically recognizing our effort and our tenacity… I was really proud of the girls. They walked off the court, okay, you’re sad, but their chins were held high because they knew they competed to the bitter end.”

Arbuckle’s philosophy on success is deeply rooted in character development. "It’s not just about what you do on the court. It’s about how you carry yourself off the court, too. We want to create athletes who are respectful, who know how to compete hard, but also play with sportsmanship. We want them to walk away with a love for the game and the confidence to keep playing and growing, whether it’s at the collegiate level or beyond."

As Arbuckle steps into leadership, his goals are pragmatic but ambitious.

“First year as a director, I’m just hoping to survive,” he admits with a laugh. “The goal, I think, for the club is to get our teams established… If we’re looking two, three years down the road, I think my goal this year is get these teams who can compete in the OVA to the best of their ability, get a solid development program set up with some of these younger kids so we can feed our system.”

Beyond logistics, his vision is about legacy.

“After they’re done with the club experience? Pride is the first one,” Arbuckle says. “We want our players to leave with pride. Pride in their development, pride in representing the Sault, and pride in being part of something bigger than themselves. Proud to have been a part of this. Proud to have been on the teams that they’re with and develop the friendships with the teammates that they do have. And hopefully that’s enough pride to say, hey, I’m going away to do college or university, but maybe if I come back to the Sault after that’s done, my pride in the club brings me back to develop the club more.”

In the north, where distances are long and winters are unforgiving, pride may be the most important thing a volleyball club can build.