May 08, 2024: Volleyball Canada announces that Dave Preston will lead the men’s Next Gen program beginning on July 02.

“We are excited to have Dave join our program,” said Julien Boucher, High Performance Director (indoor). “His background both at the domestic and international level is impressive, and he is bringing this extensive experience and enthusiasm to our development programs as we work toward qualification for upcoming Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.”

Most recently serving as head coach of the Australian National Men’s Team, Preston is known for leading McMaster University’s men’s program for just over 20 years and has served as an assistant coach for the Canadian National Team and coach of the Junior National Team in the past.

While at McMaster, he was named OUA Coach of the Year seven times and was National Coach of the Year three times.

Among many other accolades, Preston is a member of the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame, his hometown prior to playing for Western University. He would go on to become head coach of his alma mater and led the Mustangs to six OUA West Division titles from 1993 to 2002 before joining McMaster.

Under his leadership, McMaster became a perennial powerhouse in the OUA and one of the most respected collegiate programs in North America – winning 10 conference titles and making 14 trips to the U SPORTS National Championship.

Preston joined the Australian program in 2022 where he was responsible for a nationwide athlete identification and selection process as well as the day-to-day training of high-performance athletes for international competitions, including 2022 VNL and the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup. He returns to Canada to work full-time with the men’s indoor program.

“This is a very exciting time for volleyball in Canada, so I’m proud and honoured to be part of the continuous development of the sport nationwide and around the world,” said Preston. “I would like to thank Volleyball Canada for this amazing opportunity. I look forward to collaborating with the coaches, administrators, and support staff to help develop Canada’s best volleyball talent.”
 
Volleyball Canada’s Next Gen program, based in Gatineau, Quebec, provides athletes with a full-time training environment that focuses on technical and tactical development. Athletes have access to coaching staff and an integrated support team to guide their development and growth as high-performance athletes with the potential to compete for Team Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team in the future.

For more info: https://volleyball.ca/en/national-teams/indoor-men-nextgen

Dan Lewis, who recently took a position with the French professional team Alterna Stade Poitevin, will now have the role of lead development coach for Volleyball Canada. 

Media Contact:

Jackie Skender
jskender@volleyball.ca
Mobile: 613-794-7676