The 2024 Volleyball Manitoba Awards & Hall of Fame Banquet was held on Sunday, June 9th, at the Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park, a celebration recognizing some of our outstanding athletes, coaches, volunteers and officials.

At the banquet Volleyball Manitoba recognized all Provincial Champions from this past year, All-Stars & MVP’s, National Medalists, the Age Class Players of the Year from each age category as well as the Cheryl Cable, Mark Tennant, Wezer Bridle Golden Whistle and Mary Jean England Coach Awards, among others.

The evening was capped off with the Volleyball Manitoba Hall of Fame inductions, which included Donna Baydock (Athlete), Lorriann (Sawatzky) Ludwig (Athlete) and the 1990-1992 University of Manitoba Women’s Volleyball Teams (Team).

Congratulations to the following major award winners:

Congratulations to this year’s Hall of Fame inductees (click below to expand):

The Grad All-Star Event is taking place this Saturday, December 10th! Please find the schedule of events below.

Schedule of Events:

• 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM (doors open at 8:30am)
  Banquet & Breakfast @ Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park
  (1405 St. Matthews Ave, Winnipeg, MB)

• 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM:
  Graduating All-Star Games @ St. Paul’s High School
  (2200 Grant Ave, Winnipeg, MB)
  • A-AAA Girls Match: 12:30pm
  • A-AAA Boys Match: 1:30pm
  • AAAA Girls Match: 2:30pm
  • AAAA Boys Match: 3:30pm

Note: The Grad All-Star Games will be 40 minute matches, to be played as four 10 minute sets.

Grad All-Star Nomination Information

In these early stages of the 2022 High School Volleyball season, Volleyball Manitoba is planning to collect nominations for the High School Graduating All-Star Teams.

We ask that all Varsity Coaches, from ‘A’ through ‘AAAA’, nominate their Grade 12 graduating athletes for the Volleyball Manitoba Graduating All-Star Team!

Historically we’ve asked Coaches to only nominate those athletes who they feel are truly among the top players in the province (in their respective ‘A’ through ‘AAAA’ designation).  However, because our voting procedures are now online and fans/spectators are allowed to vote, in the interest of avoiding some athletes being left out of the process, we have decided to encourage Coaches to nominate all of their Grade 12s.

Eligibility Requirements

– An athlete must be a member of a varsity high school volleyball team that is registered with the MHSAA

– An athlete must be in Grade 12 and assumed to be graduating in June, 2023

Nomination Process

Please email gradallstar@gmail.com the following information for each player you wish to nominate:

Competitive Division (i.e. Girls or Boys AAAA, AAA, AA or A):

School:

School Team Name:

Athlete Name:

Athlete Uniform Number:

Athlete Position:

Athlete T-Shirt Size:

If at all possible we request that coaches send along a picture of each athlete they nominate. These pictures will not be included on the voting form, however they may be utilized by the Selection Committees. Even a team picture with the athletes identified would be sufficient.

The Nomination Deadline is Friday, October 21st, 2022, so please nominate your athletes ASAP so they don’t get left out! Voting will commence on October 24th.

The Grad All-Star Event is scheduled for December 10th, 2022, the event will include a Banquet Breakfast/Brunch and Awards Ceremony, followed by the Games (location TBA).  Final details will be announced as they become available. The 4 Teams available include ‘AAAA’ Boys, ‘AAAA’ Girls, ‘A’-‘AAA’ Boys, and ‘A’-‘AAA’ Girls.

Call for Volunteer Selection Committee Members

The Grad All-Star Selection process is as follows:

Coaches such as yourselves nominate athletes. Upon the closing of nominations, a voting ballot is created and dispersed. Coaches and others cast their votes for players within their division. These votes are tallied, and a Selection Committee of Coaches selects and forms the two teams from those nominated athletes.

Volleyball Manitoba requires Volunteers to fill these Grad All-Star Selection Committees (1 Committee for each of the 4 Teams).  If you are interested in joining a Selection Committee, please let us know by November 10th, 2022.

If you are interested in being a part of the Selection Committee, contact Danielle Tabak at volleyball.events@sportmanitoba.ca

Committee responsibilities include
– Making final team selections based on voting results and forming teams from those players selected
– Selecting players for the All-Manitoba Teams and selecting an MVP (for ‘AAAA’ Divisions)
– Selecting the Coach of the Year within their Division

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Volleyball Manitoba Graduating All-Star Teams, please contact Danielle Tabak at volleyball.events@sportmanitoba.ca.

Congratulations Michelle Sawatzky-Koop!
2022 Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

Michelle’s love and dedication to the game of volleyball brought her from Steinbach, Manitoba all the way to the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Sawatzky attended Steinbach Regional Secondary School, leading the Sabres to at AA Championship in 1987. She also attended the 1989 Canada Summer Games in Saskatoon as a setter for Team Manitoba, finishing with a bronze medal at the Games.

Michelle went on to play her post-secondary volleyball at the University of Manitoba where she earned numerous individual and team awards. She helped the Bisons capture three consecutive CIAU Championships in 1990, 1991, and 1992. She was named MVP of the CIAU Championships in 1990 and 1991 and named CIAU Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992. As a senior, Michelle was named the University of Manitoba Bisons Female Athlete of the Year award for the 1992-93 season.

Sawatzky had a stellar international career that began during her time with the Manitoba Bisons, when she was part of the Canadian junior team in 1990 and competed at the World Student Games in 1991 and 1992. Upon graduating, Michelle joined the senior National team, with whom she won bronze at the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina and competed at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games.

Michelle continues to be involved in the volleyball community as a motivational speaker and coach.

Michelle now joins the following volleyball individuals and teams as honoured members of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame:

Wezer Bridle (inducted 1988)

Garth Pischke (inducted 1989)

Dennis Nord (inducted 1996)

Mike Burchuk (inducted 1999)

Mary Dempster (inducted 2003)

Dale Iwanoczko (inducted 2007)

Ed Toews (inducted 2008)

Jim Schreyer (inducted 2014)

Wanda Guenette (inducted 2014)

Ruth Klassen (Inducted 2022)

1988 University of Winnipeg Wesmen Women (inducted 2008)

1978 & 1980 University of Manitoba Bison Men (inducted 2012)

1971-74 University of Winnipeg Wesmen Men (inducted 2016)

Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame Banquet