Willis Makes Fox40 Coach of the Year
Queen’s Gaels Men’s Volleyball head coach Brenda Willis was named 2009-10 Fox 40 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) coach of the year.
Five-time OUA coach of the year and OUA 3M coaching award winner, Willis completed her 23rd campaign with the Gaels and her 36th year of coaching. Her career coaching record at Queen’s is 247-93 in OUA league competition. In 2009, Willis served as head coach of the Maccabia national men’s volleyball team, earning a bronze medal for Canada – which is the first men’s volleyball medal Canada has ever won in these games.
In 1993, she led Team Ontario to a gold medal finish in the Canada Games. Willis just completed a 10 year stint as president of the Ontario Volleyball Association, and remains an active learning facilitator for levels one through three. In 2007, she was the honoured recipient of the Rolf Lund Jule Nisse Award, presented by the Ontario Sport Alliance and the Ministry of Health Promotion to an individual who has demonstrated a life-time commitment to playground to podium sport.
In 2009-10 Willis led the men’s volleyball team to a second place finish during the regular season with a 16-4 record. After finishing second at the OUA championship the last two years, the Queen’s men’s volleyball team, led by Willis, reclaimed the OUA banner as they defeated the Western Mustangs (26-28, 16-25, 25-23, 25-22, 15-12) and the Guelph Gryphons (25-22, 17-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-13) in thrilling five-set matches at the OUA Final Four championship.
The Gaels went on to finish fifth at the CIS championships. Queen’s has won three of the past five OUA banners, having made the final the last five seasons. She has an .800 winning percentage over these seasons, with a career coaching record of 247-93. In addition to her coaching duties, Willis also teaches in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s.
Jamie Howieson, gogaelsgo.com
