CANAVAN CAN DO IT
Marty’s brother and sister have won state titles at Marist. Is the junior outside/right-side hitter next? ‘That’s a big talking point at family parties.’
Just in case Marist’s Marty Canavan forgets, the junior outside/ right-side hitter has a couple of reminders every day that he has not won a state title in volleyball.
Canavan heads into a gym with a poster on each side of the stage area.
To the left is the RedHawks’ girls volleyball team that won the 2018 Class 4A state title. His sister, Katie, is on that poster and played for two state champions.
Over on the right is the boys team that won the 2019 state title. His brother Kevin, is the only one wearing black on that poster, so even from a distance, Marty can pick him out.
He also gets subtle reminders away from the gym.
“That’s a big talking point at family parties,” Marty said. “They are like, ‘Oh, you’re the only one without a state ring.’
“It’s all in fun, but I’m hoping to get one soon.”
Even though he has two years, Canavan and his Marist teammates will be looking to win state sooner rather than later. It would add a layer of liveliness to those family parties.
Last season, the RedHawks (23-4) also had high hopes but were knocked out of the state playoffs at home in the sectional championship match.
That 26-24, 26-24 loss to Lincoln-Way East inspired his team to work hard during the offseason, according to Marist coach Jordan Vidovic.
Canavan’s offseason included leading his Ultimate Gold team to a national bid by winning a qualifier in St. Louis. He also had another chance in July to compete against some of the best players in the nation.
“It was kind of intimidating at first because I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Canavan said of the National Team Development Program’s training series held in Anaheim. “I was on the younger end of my age group.
“I was in the U18 group as a 16-year-old. I was a little intimidated, but I knew I was chosen to be there for a reason. I was meant to be there.”
He wasn’t short on confidence, but the 6-foot-4 Canavan wasn’t a giant compared to his peers in Anaheim.
“It hit me when I walked in,” he said. “I was like the shortest one. I’ve never been the shortest one in any group scenario I’ve been in.
“But after playing the first couple of sessions, we started to get to know each other and get
acclimated. It started to feel more comfortable. Everyone’s game play went up because of the environment we were in.”
Did he get blocked a few times? You bet.
But one of the highlights to that experience was facing California star Joshua Ewert.
“He was one of the best hitters there,” Canavan said. “He was the guy who the coaches used as an example for drills.
“There was one play when we faced each other and he went up. I put my hand over my head and prayed, and the ball went straight down. That felt really good. There were a lot of great plays on both sides.”
For a number of seasons, Vidovic said the trip paid off for Canavan.
“The experience from all of those athletes and all of those coaches, you are just going to learn so much,” Vidovic said. “He was a part of it day by day and drill by drill.
“The coolest part of that experience is being connected to those types of players and coaches at a really, really high level. That gives you so much of a frame of reference coming back.”