NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - Patrick Johnston of the Fanshawe Falcons has been named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Johnston received the award this evening at the 2016 CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship banquet, hosted by Douglas College in New Westminster, B.C.

He guided the Falcons to a 16-2 record and first-place finish in the OCAA's West Division.

"He has quickly made his mark in the OCAA and CCAA as the head coach of the Falcons in the last two years," said Ray Sarkis, CCAA Men's Volleyball Convenor. "Johnston has raised the bar and the level of play for everyone in the OCAA this year and has made Fanshawe one of the front runners for a CCAA medal."

The Falcons improved by eight points this season as the team grew dramatically in their ability to score. Johnston also secured a sport psychologist to deal with the mental and intellectual side of the game. The team responded with a GPA of 3.67 in the first semester.

While Johnston's goal is to one day coach Team Canada, he is currently focused on creating a sustainable and highly successful program at Fanshawe. He also continues to assist in developing the game at the grassroots level in the volleyball hotbed that is London, Ont.

"The Falcons are seeded second in the CCAA, but that only tells part of story about Coach Johnston," said David Munro, VP Sport Development. "He is also involved in many community-related volleyball pursuits and is having a tremendous impact."

Indeed, Johnston has quite the resume. He is both the director of the London Volleyball Club and the Volleyball Canada Centre of Excellence (VCCE). Last summer, he was an assistant coach of 18U Team Ontario and 17U Team Canada. This summer, he will handle head coaching duties for 16U Team Ontario.

CCAA Coach of the Year winners receive a customized ring provided by Jostens Canada, the Official Ring Supplier of the CCAA Championship Awards Banquet.

For more information, visit the official website of the 2016 CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship.

Source: CCAA Communications