At this year’s Awards Banquet, two officials were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the sport:

Eric Lawlor

• For over 10 years, Eric has served as the National Officials Liaison with Volleyball Canada and has served on the OVA Beach Committee
• He has conducted and assisted in running local clinics to certify new beach officials and has been a mentor for all levels of officials over the years
• Eric has served as Referee Supervisor at numerous FIVB events (2006 Bermuda, 2011 Quebec City, 2011 Halifax) and has officiated at numerous OVA events as Mentor or Head Official and has worked as an Official or Referee Supervisor at Volleyball Canada Beach National Championships for over 10 years.

Lynn Watkins

• Lynn Watkins has been an official for over 20 years.
• During this time she has been and currently is the Region 4 Officials Chair and has been a member of the Provincial Officials Committee, which is responsible for overseeing officials’ development in the province of Ontario.
• In her role as the Regional Officials Chair, Lynn is responsible for the organization and development of Officiating Programs as well as the management and distribution of officiating assignments for volleyball with in her Region.
• She facilitates the delivery of local and provincial upgrade programs, while serving as a mentor for younger officials in her Region.  She actively seeks opportunities for top officials from her region to travel elsewhere in order to increase their exposure and experience.

The 2011 Achievement Award Winners are:

Denis Levesque

• Denis has been coaching for over 15 years in the Golden Horseshoe region and has been an integral part of the development of female volleyball players between the ages of 12 to 17
• Since 2006, Denis has been part of the coaching staff of first the Mountain Athletic Club and most recently, the Mountain Volleyball Club (MVC) where he currently coaches the 15u team.
• Denis is heavily involved in the administration of the club as an executive member, Denis has run leadership sessions for club coaches and athletes, a job he also dedicates himself to in the summer at the Ministry of Education Leadership Camp (OELC) at Lake Couchiching.
• Denis has extended his coaching involvement beyond the MVC club system, coaching both junior and senior boys and girls at the elementary school where he has taught and coached for fifteen years.
• In addition, Denis often volunteers a portion of his summer assisting athletes at Madawaska Volleyball Camp or at the Elite Centers run by the Ontario Volleyball Association and has acted as coach for the regional team for Region 3.
• Denis is also an integral part of the developmental side of the Mountain Volleyball Club where he helps design and implement LTAD friendly curriculum that is used in both our house league and summer camp programs

Cathy O’Doherty

• Cathy has been coaching for over 26 and is recognized as a coach and leader of athletics not only at the High School level in Ottawa, but for the volleyball in the Province of Ontario.
• She is a founding member of the national Capital Volleyball Club, now known as Ottawa Fusion, and continues as a coach and board member.
• She spends countless hours counseling and advocating for players as they move on to post-secondary institutions. Her philosophy of coaching is not that much different than what she uses in her classroom — respect, dedication, teamwork and fair play.
• Cathy is a Learning Facilitator and runs Coaching courses for the OVA in the Ottawa Region.
• Cathy was also a member of the 2009 Canada Games Team Coaching staff, which won a silver medal at the Games in PEI.

Mike Russell

• Mike has assisted the OVA by hosting OVA Tournaments, Coaching Clinics and Officials clinics for many years and has been a part of the Region 5 Executive
• Mike was the Manager of the Boys Provincial Team in 2011
• He has helped to develop countless number of players to achieve higher levels of success in volleyball.
• Current Assistant Coach at Sheridan Men’s and former Head Coach of Sheridan’s women’s program, and the former Assistant at McMaster University
• Mike has hosted many OFSAA Championships, including the first ever all-in-one Boys event at one location in 2010 – creating one of the biggest events for boys volleyball that was truly province wide (A to AAAA)
• On top of his OVA volunteerism, Mike is currently coaching at Rick Hansen SS and Applewood ES

Beth Schulz

• Beth is the past president of Niagara Rapids VBC and currently serves as the registrar for the Club.
• She is currently coaching the 15U Black Niagara Rapids Girls Team for the 2011/12 season.
• Beth has set up and delivers SPIKES volleyball house league programs in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls for children in grades five and six and has even begun a mini-SPIKES program to deliver the fundamentals of volleyball skills to children in grades 1-4.
• On top of her duties with Niagara Rapids, Beth has assisted the OVA over the years by delivering SPIKES On the Road volleyball day programs throughout schools in Ontario as well as by coaching at Regional Team Training Centres and FUNdamentals Centres.

Andrew Robb

• Andrew is a National beach referee and an International Candidate for indoor volleyball.
• For the past six years, Andrew has also contributed to the sport of volleyball through his work as the Region 5 Officials’ Chair, as well as the Senior Assignor for Region 5.
• Andrew actively evaluates Regional Upgrade candidates as an assistant to the Regional Upgrade Program Chair and provides the candidates with valuable feedback to further develop and hone their officiating skills.
• As Region 5 ROC, Andrew also oversees the Provincial Mentorship Program and is responsible for assigning a mentor to each Provincial candidate and monitoring their progress each season.
• Final confirmation of Andrew’s promotion to International referee is expected from FIVB in early 2012.

John May

• John, the founder of Crush Volleyball, is currently the head coach of the Crush 18U Boys team.  Crush has won 10 National Indoor Championships and 8 Provincial Indoor Championships since it was founded 6 years ago. On the beach Crush athletes have won Provincial, National, and World Championships.
• Coached Mark Heese and John Child at the Olympics in 2004 and coached Child/Heese and Ahren Cadieux and Mark Heese on FIVB World Tour.
• John is a 3-Time OUA Champion as a player and a member of the York University Athletic Hall of Fame.  He has also coached the U of T Women’s Team to an OUA Title.

Yolanda MacKinnon

• Yolanda has developed the volleyball community at the grass roots level in Thunder Bay including starting an OVA SPIKES program.
• Yolanda has worked in many capacities with the OVA’s Athlete Development Programs helping to further develop athletes and coaches  in the Region 1 area and across Ontario.
• Yolanda is a former OVA Region 1 President

Kevin Hellyer

• Kevin is currently the head coach of the Durham Attack U17 Black female team, but has coached teams at the U13-17 level, achieving medal success at Provincial and National Championships.  Kevin is also the lead coach at the Durham Attack Summer Camp.
• Kevin has also been a member of the Region Coaching programs.  He has coached both at the Regional Games and the Ontario Summer Games, winning a gold medal at the 2008 Games.
• His ability to work collaboratively with others has allowed him to develop a number of coaches, while also developing his coaching.

The World League will be part of an important and busy 2012 season for the Canadian squad, ranked 19th in the world, which is also looking to land a spot in the Olympic Games. This is Canada’s first appearance in World League play since 2007.

“We are very happy to get back into the World League,” said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag of Gatineau, Que.  “At this point of the development of our program, we need to play great teams such as Brazil, Poland and Finland.  Our staff and players will benefit from this learning experience. We will compete hard for every point and improve with every match.”

Canada qualified for the World League this past summer with impressive qualifying round series victories over Slovakia and Puerto Rico.

Both Poland, ranked fourth internationally, and Brazil are among the three nations currently qualified for the 2012 London Olympics after recently finishing second and third respectively at the 2011 World Cup in Japan. Finland is currently ranked 27th.

Other pool groupings include the following:

Pool A: Russia, Cuba, Serbia, Japan

Pool C: Italy, USA, France, Korea

Pool D: Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, Portugal

The 2012 World League will have a different format from past editions due to the busy international calendar early next summer that also includes several qualification tournaments for the London Olympics. The format will involve each country only hosting one weekend tournament involving the four countries in its pool, over a three-day period, instead of hosting three separate weekend series on home soil as in the past.

The ‘intercontinental round’ will run between May 18 and July 1 with each team still playing a total of 12 matches over the four weekend events. The final six play-off is scheduled for Sofia, Bulgaria from July 4-8.

The final dates and competition calendar for the ‘intercontinental round’, including the hosting dates and location for Canada’s hosted event, will be announced in the early new year.

The prestigious FIVB Volleyball World League, entering its 23rd year, is a 16-country intercontinental tournament that takes place every summer, reaching all corners of the planet, offering worldwide TV coverage and the biggest cash prizes in the sport.

The last time Canada competed in the World League was in 2007 when it placed 13th.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

The six day tournament will take place from August 28 to September 2 and features a Main Draw of 32 teams for the first time as the competition for players under 21 continues to grow in both size and stature.

The 2011 edition of the tournament was deemed a great success, with over 14,000 fans traveling to the waterfront to take in the action, and those numbers are expected to grow again this year.

“I’m thrilled at having the chance to welcome some of the sports youngest and brightest athletes to Canadian shores yet again,” Volleyball Canada president Hugh Wong said after signing the agreement. “Last year’s event was a new milestone for us as a national federation and we’re obviously hoping to build on that further in 2012. It was so wonderful to see thousands of fans supporting the players in 2011 in what was a highlight for Canadian beach volleyball. I have little doubt that we’ll add to the experience come August next year.”

The FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch Junior World Championships are held annually at beach locations all over the world. Last year’s event was unique, with organizers creating a beach surface featuring 2,000 tonnes of sand as well as a temporary stadium.

Just like last year, Volleyball Canada will partner with Sports & Entertainment Atlantic, and President Derek Martin added that they look to build on last year’s edition.

“Last year’s tournament was a great success in so many ways and the overwhelming support we received from the community encouraged us to bring it back again” he said. “With an estimated economic impact of over $3 million dollars this is the type of International event that benefits all of Nova Scotia and Halifax should take pride in being awarded the unprecedented rights to host it two years in a row.”

FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission secretary Vicente Araujo explained the fact that the Swatch Junior World Championships is returning to Halifax says a lot about how well it was organized last year.

“The 2011 edition of the tournament was magnificent,” he added. “The platform created by both Volleyball Canada and Sports & Entertainment Atlantic for beach volleyball was exactly what we were looking for so I am excited to see how they aim to improve on it in 2012. It has been said many times that these players are the future of the sport and to have this raw talent matched with such a brilliant setting is a positive advert for beach volleyball.”

With sell-outs on the final three days of competition in 2011, the Swatch Junior World Championships were the must-see event in Halifax leading into the Labour Day weekend and Sports & Entertainment Atlantic is already working with government and corporate sponsors to ensure the 2012 event builds on that excitement.

Tickets for the 2012 event will go on sale on December 8, 2011 at 12:00pm Atlantic time through online ticket provider mytix and can be purchased online at www.sandjamhalifax.com or by phone at 902.496.4749. Ticket prices have been kept at the same reasonable prices as in 2011 with a Full Week Centre Court 6-day tournament pass for as low as $60 (plus HST and service fee) and GA tickets for as low as $5 a day. Single day tickets will be available at a later date if available.

Last year over 400 volunteers helped make the tournament a success and if you are interested in helping out at the 2012 event please also visit www.sandjamhalifax.com.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

The Canadian pair equaled its best-ever international result achieved this past July at the World Tour stop in Quebec City. The showing should also help Bansley and Maloney inch their way up some more in the world rankings.  They are currently 29th.

On Saturday, the 18th seeded Bansley and Maloney lost to Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Hanson of the U.S., 21-19, 21-15. The American pair was upset in their very next match missing a berth in the semi by one win.

“(We are) disappointed with our loss, but thrilled with our seventh place result overall to close out the season,” tweeted Maloney. “Great tournament and season. Way to earn some big Olympic qualification points and put us in the main draw next year.”

Bansley and Maloney started the tournament Thursday going 1-1 in the double elimination format then strung together three consecutive wins on Friday through the losers bracket to stay in contention.

They emerged as Canada’s top international pair in 2011 posting four top-10 finishes on the World Tour circuit and placing 17th at the world championships in Rome.

Bansley and Maloney can gain an Olympic berth automatically if they are ranked in the top-16 in the world on June 16, 2012.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

Bansley and Maloney, seeded 18th, defeated 15th seeds Satoko Urata and Takemi Nishibori of Japan 21-17, 21-12 in 34 minutes. In the second round they lost to second seeds Jennifer Kessy and April Ross, the 2009 world champions, 21-10, 21-14.

The Canadian pair must now proceed through the loser bracket and could potentially play as many as three matches on Friday.

———————————————————————————————————-

Christian Redmann among 37 athletes to join RBC Olympians program

RBC announced the names of 37 exceptional Canadian athletes, which includes beach volleyball star Christian Redmann of Toronto,  who will join the 2011/2012 RBC Olympians Program.

The RBC Olympians Program, which began in 2002, is a national initiative providing elite athletes an opportunity to gain career-oriented experience alongside a flexible work schedule, which gives them the time necessary to train and compete. The career skills and experiences gained from working at RBC will benefit these athletes at different stages of their careers.

Story from the Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca

The monumental victory came Sept. 19 in the World Junior Beach Volleyball Championships in Alanya, Turkey. Schachter and Garrett May, both from the Toronto area, rallied to upset second-seeded Alvaro Filho and Vitor Felipe of Brazil, 21-23, 21-16, 15-13.

“It’s still hard to speak about how much that meant to me, my country and my family,” said Schachter, whose 18th-seeded team won all seven of their matches in Turkey’s blistering heat. “You never truly expect to be able to say you are the best in the world. So it was a real positive for volleyball in Canada. It showed we are more than just a hockey nation.”

Indeed, it was Canada’s first medal in the 10-year history of the event. One month later, the Canadian Sports Awards honored Schachter, 21, and May, 19, as the Junior Athletes of the Year. By then, though, Schachter had come to the realization that he needed to switch partners.

“Garrett and I really enjoy playing together,” Schachter said. “But he goes to school in the winter, and I need to train year-round to improve.”

A second important factor in Schachter’s decision was his quest for more size. At 6’5”, he was one of the smallest blockers on the FIVB Tour. Schachter formed a new partnership with 6’7” Maverick Hatch, whose partner had retired. In the new partnership, Schachter plays defender, so, in essence, he replaces the 6’2” May.

“Hatch touches 11’5”,” Schachter said of the Comox, British Columbia native, “and he has arms like a monkey.”

In their first three FIVB matches this year, Schachter and Hatch won five out of nine, finishing 41st in Brazil and in China and 25th in the Czech Republic. And on July 31, Schachter and Hatch won Center of Gravity, a pro beach tournament in Kelowna, British Columbia. The duo won four straight matches without losing a set.

“Sam’s style meshes with mine because we’re both really aggressive,” Hatch said. “He’ll hammer a ball, and I’ll put a rip on one, too. Physically, he has all the skills to be a great defender. It’s just a matter of time and added experience before he gets there.”

Read the Complete Story.

Story by Walter Villa for Volleyball Magazine | VolleyballMag.com

The Spartans finish at 1-2 for third spot in its pool and don’t advance to the playoff round. Only the top-two in each of the two pools move on to the semis. The Poles placed first and Russia’s Zenit Kazan second in Canada’s pool.

“We little a disappointed,” said Canadian team captain Rudy Verhoeff of Calgary. “We were too sloppy in the easy plays. We’re very happy to have had this opportunity and it gave us a clear view on where we need to be and what we need to work on. Overall we have learned a lot and this competition has been a great experience.”

Brad Kufske of Abbotsford, B.C., led Canada with 11 points from nine attacks and two blocks. Nick Del Bianco of Surrey had eight points. All 12 Spartan players on the roster played at least one set on Tuesday.

“Today was a good chance for us to get our younger players to get on the court,” said Canada’s head coach Ben Josephson of Strathmore, Alta. “The biggest lesson we’ve learned is that that these teams and athletes have a purpose in everything they do on the court, with each serve, with each set, with each swing.”

Josephson was pleased with the performance of his young squad against some of the top clubs and players on the professional side of the sport.

‘’This event gives us an idea on what we need to do to get better against the best teams in the world,’’ he said.  ‘’I think you’ll see some of our guys play against some of these players again in the future.’’

The Canadian team roster for the FIVB Club World Championships in men’s volleyball. Team Canada is represented by the Trinity Western University Spartans from Surrey, B.C.

Team: Jarrod Offereins, Calgary; Marc Howatson, Victoria; Devyn Plett, Winnipeg; Ben Ball, Abbotsford, B.C.; Dan Jansen Van Doorn, Langley, B.C.; Steven Marshall, Abbotsford; Brad Kufske, Abbotsford; Rudy Verhoeff, Calgary; Lucas Van Berkel, Edmonton; Branden Schmidt, Winton, Alta.; Ben Ball, Abbotsford, B.C.; Derek Thiessen, Coquitlam, B.C.; Nicholas Del Bianco, Surrey, B.C.

Head coach: Ben Josephson, Strathmore, Alta.
Assistant coach: Joel Jansen
Team manager: John Blacher, Winnipeg.

The Spartans even their round robin record at 1-1 to remain in contention for a berth in the semifinals.

“After the first set they raised their level of play and we we’re not responding fast enough until the fourth set,” said Verhoeff. “That is something we need to improve on for the remaining part of this competition.”

Verhoeff earned his points on 20 attacks, five blocks and one service ace. Steve Marshall of Abbotsford, B.C., also contributed 15 points, Lucas Van Berkel of Edmonton 11 and Marc Howatson of Victoria 10.

‘’Our guys had lots of energy in the fourth and fifth sets and that may be one of the reasons we came out ahead in the end,’’ said TWU’s head coach Ben Josephson.

The Spartans out-blocked their opponents by a 27-7 margin. Both Van Berkel and Daniel Jansen van Doorn of Langley, B.C., each recorded seven blocks in the match.

“Our block was also the difference today,” added Josephson. “In the second and third sets the Iranians did a good job attacking around our block but overall we did a very good job in getting our hands in the right places, forcing them to make perfect shots to score.”’

The Spartans conclude the preliminary round Tuesday against KS Jastrzebski Wegiel from Poland with the winner of that match advancing to the semifinals.

Canadian Steve Brinkman shines for Italian club

Also in tournament play, Canadian national team player Steve Brinkman of Bowmanville, Ont., scored five points helping his pro club Trentiono Diatec Trento from Italy to a 25-16, 25-22, 25-22 victory over Al-Ahly of Cairo in its opening match at the tournament.

The Italian squad is the two time defending tournament champions. This past summer Brinkman played his 200th international match with the Canadian national team.

The Canadian team roster for the FIVB Club World Championships in men’s volleyball. Team Canada is represented by the Trinity Western University Spartans from Surrey, B.C.

Team: Jarrod Offereins, Calgary; Marc Howatson, Victoria; Devyn Plett, Winnipeg; Ben Ball, Abbotsford, B.C.; Dan Jansen Van Doorn, Langley, B.C.; Steven Marshall, Abbotsford; Brad Kufske, Abbotsford; Rudy Verhoeff, Calgary; Lucas Van Berkel, Edmonton; Branden Schmidt, Winton, Alta.; Ben Ball, Abbotsford, B.C.; Derek Thiessen, Coquitlam, B.C.; Nicholas Del Bianco, Surrey, B.C.

Head coach: Ben Josephson, Starthmore, Alta.
Assistant coach: Joel Jansen
Team manager: John Blacher, Winnipeg.

Story from Volleyball Canada Website | Volleyball.ca