Photo credit Yan Dublet

QUEBEC CITY (CIS) – Third-year outside hitter Shanice Marcelle from the reigning three-time national champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds was named the CIS player of the year in women’s volleyball, Wednesday night.
 
The Victoria native follows in the footsteps of former teammate Liz Cordonier, who last season became the first T-Bird in history to claim the Mary Lyons Award.
 
Championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wvball
 
Other CIS major award winners announced during the All-Canadian Banquet held at Desjardins Hall on the campus of Laval University were Montreal outside Marie-Sophie Nadeau of St-Aimé, Que., who received the Mark Tennant Award as rookie of the year; Brandon’s Donata Huebert, a native of Minden, Germany, who was named the top libero in the nation; Trinity Western’s Ryan Hofer, who earned coach-of-the-year honours; and UBC’s Jen Hinze of Vancouver, who received the Thérèse Quigley Award recognizing excellence in volleyball, academics and community involvement.
 
The 2011 CIS championship kicks off on Friday in Quebec City and culminates Sunday at 4:30 p.m. with the gold-medal final. All 11 match-ups from the tournament will be webcast live.  
 
MARY LYONS AWARD (player of the year): Shanice Marcelle, UBC
 
Marcelle has been a force for the Thunderbirds in each of her three seasons with the team and this year stepped up to become the squad’s primary attacking threat. The 6-foot human kinetics major helped lead the three-time defending CIS champions to a 15-3 record and first place in the conference standings, to a third straight Canada West title, and to the No. 1 seed going into this weekend’s national championship, all of this despite the graduation of two fifth-year standouts – including former CIS MVP Cordonier - and the absence of senior national team members Kyla Richey and Jen Hinze during the first half of the season.
 
Marcelle put together an impressive all-around campaign finishing second in Canada West and sixth in the country in kills (3.50 per set), while placing sixth in the conference in service aces (0.45 per set) and eighth in hitting percentage (.253). She also led the T-Birds in digs (2.74 per set) and was fifth on the team in blocks (0.53 per set).

The Victoria native, who was a CIS all-rookie selection in 2008-09, was a key contributor to UBC’s championship runs in 2010 and 2009 as she was named a CIS tournament all-star on both occasions, and was the MVP of last year’s gold-medal final. She is also one of Canada’s top beach players, having competed in two world championships. She finished ninth at the 2007 U19 world beach championships in Poland with current T-Bird teammate, Danielle Richards.

“Shanice is a gifted athlete and perhaps the most skilled player to wear a Thunderbird uniform during my fifteen years at UBC,” said five-time CIS coach of the year Doug Reimer. “She excels in all aspects of the game, making it very tough to say what her best skill might be. From attacking and blocking to serving, passing and defence she routinely makes difficult plays look easy and has shown the ability to elevate her game when the team needs it most.”
 
Saint Mary’s left side Kerri Smit of Shubenacadie, N.S., Laval right side Mélanie Savoie of St-Sylvestre, Que., and Guelph middle Kylen Van Osch of Exeter, Ont., were the other nominees for the Lyons Award. 
 
MARK TENNANT AWARD (rookie of the year): Marie-Sophie Nadeau, Montreal
 
Nadeau is only the second Carabin to claim the Mark Tennant Award. Former Olympian Josée Corbeil was honoured in 1993.
 
A 6-foot-1 outside hitter, Nadeau led the Quebec conference with 4.61 points and 3.82 kills per set in her university debut, averages that were good enough for second and fourth place in the country, respectively. She also finished fifth in Quebec in hitting percentage (.264) and seventh in blocks (0.76 per set), while contributing 133 digs and 17 service aces. These statistics earned her a spot on the first RSEQ all-star team and the second all-Canadian squad.
 
Thanks in large part to Nadeau’s stellar play, the Carabins compiled a 17-3 conference record, remained in the CIS top 5 all season long, reached the Quebec final and qualified for the national championship, all despite the graduation of three impact players following the 2009-10 campaign - including two-time CIS MVP Laetitia Tchoualack.
 
Nadeau, who grew up in a family of seven children, was a first-team all-star at the collegiate AAA level while at Collège Bois-de-Boulogne.
 
“Marie-Sophie is without a doubt one of the best first-year athletes I’ve had the chance to coach,” said Montreal head coach Olivier Trudel. “She’s a very complete player who excels in all aspects of the game and she’s a warrior, she’s relentless on the court. She’s been a huge part of our success this season.” 
 
St. Francis Xavier middle Jessica Roberts of Calgary, York outside hitter Brandie Wilkerson of Brampton, Ont., and Trinity Western middle Alicia Perrin of Creston, B.C., were also in the running for the Tennant Award.
 
LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Donata Huebert, Brandon
 
Huebert is the first Brandon player to receive a major national award since the Bobcats joined CIS in women’s volleyball in 2005-06.
 
The 21-year-old education student arrived in Brandon last fall after three seasons with TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen in her native Germany, where she was also a member of the junior national team. Playing in every set of every match for the Bobcats, she finished second in Canada West in conference play with 3.92 digs per set. Her total of 259 digs helped Brandon take third place as a team in that category in the CWUAA.
 
Huebert’s defensive exploits were key as the Bobcats continued to emerge as one of the top programs in the country. Brandon finished fourth in the Canada West standings with an 11-7 mark and was ranked in all 13 national polls this season, reaching a team-record No. 2 ranking in early November.
 
“Donata played extremely well all season long,” said Brandon head coach Lee Carter. “She is the consummate professional. She trains hard, her work ethic is second to none and the way she plays the game is inspiring to both her teammates and anyone who watches her.”
 
Dalhousie’s Lauren Smith of Burnaby, B.C., McGill’s Daphnée-Maude André-Morin of Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, Que., and Western Ontario’s Claire Morrow of London, Ont., were the other nominees for libero of the year.
 
COACH OF THE YEAR, presented by Coaches of Canada: Ryan Hofer, Trinity Western
 
Hofer is the first Trinity Western sideline boss to be named CIS coach of the year in women’s volleyball.
 
In his sixth campaign at the helm, he guided the Spartans to second place in the ultra-competitive Canada West conference with a 15-3 regular season record, a silver medal at the conference championship and the No. 2 seed going into the CIS tournament. Earlier this winter, TWU spent two weeks at No. 1 in the national rankings, a first in program history.
 
The Spartans, who will make their third CIS championship appearance in five years under Hofer, were one of the best defensive teams in Canada West this season, leading the conference in lowest opponents’ hitting percentage (.111) and ranking second in blocks per set (2.53). On offence, they were third in hitting percentage (.215) and fourth in kills (12.09 per set).  
 
Prior to taking over as head coach in 2006-07, Hofer was an assistant to wife Carol for five seasons and acted as interim head coach in 2003-04. The former Volleyball Canada Male Coach of the Year (2004 season) enters the CIS tourney with a career overall record of 117-79 (.597) as the Spartans’ mentor. He was an assistant coach with the Canadian entry at the 2009 Summer Universiade in Serbia, has been an assistant with the women’s junior national team and head coach of the youth national squad, and has led numerous club teams to provincial and national titles.
 
“It is a great honour for Ryan to be selected by his peers for this prestigious award. He has set the standard for coaching excellence at TWU in a number of areas,” said Trinity Western director of athletics Murray Hall. “Ryan’s strengths as a CIS coach are numerous. Most of all, he is committed to the success of his students academically, athletically and in all aspects of life.”
 
Saint Mary’s Darren Russell, Laval’s Alain Pelletier and McMaster’s Tim Louks were also up for CIS coach-of-the-year honours.

THÉRÈSE QUIGLEY AWARD (outstanding student-athlete / community involvement): Jen Hinze, UBC
 
Hinze is the fifth UBC recipient of the Thérèse Quigley Award since its inception in 1994. Former teammate Katie Tyzuk was the most recent Thunderbird winner two years ago.
 
Hinze is one of the most decorated Thunderbirds in women’s volleyball history. A first-team all-Canadian and CIS championship all-star in 2009-10, the 6-foot-2 middle has been a major factor in UBC’s current three-year run as national champion. This season, the two-time Canada West all-star averaged 2.14 kills and 1.41 blocks per set, having rejoined the T-Birds in January after suiting up for the Canadian national team at the 2010 world championships in Japan during the fall.

The Vancouver native has also been a star off the court achieving academic all-Canadian status every year at UBC. Last fall, she was recognized as a member of the prestigious CIS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian list for 2009-10 after she maintained an average of 88.8 per cent in cellular biology and genetics in addition to volunteering at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), a spinal cord injury research centre at Vancouver General Hospital. She has also volunteered with UBC’s Varsity Readers program, the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House, and is a mainstay on the coaching staff of numerous volleyball camps and clinics.

“Jen is incredibly humble and supportive to everyone, and combined with her work ethic, on and off the court, this makes her not just a good teammate but a valued role model,” noted Reimer. “Young players might see her athleticism but they don’t see all the work and focus that she puts in to be a great student and athlete.”
 
St. Francis Xavier left side Katherine Ryan, an arts student from Halifax, Laval setter Stéfanie Latreille Banville, a nursing student from Sainte-Thérèse, Que., and Wilfrid Laurier middle Megan Gilmore, a kinesiology and physical education student from Cambridge, Ont., were the other finalists for the Thérèse Quigley Award.
 
ALL-CANADIAN TEAMS
 
The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday.
 
Joining Marcelle on the first CIS squad were conference most valuable players Smith (AUS), Savoie (RSEQ) and Van Osch (OUA), as well as Trinity Western outside hitter Kara Jansen Van Doorn of Langley, B.C., Montreal setter Alexandra Lojen of Montreal, and Manitoba right side Ashley Voth of Winnipeg.
 
Lojen and Voth both return from last year’s top unit. Voth, who was named CIS rookie of the year back in 2006-07, was also a first-team member in 2007-08. Savoie had been selected to the second squad twice, a year ago and in 2007-08, while Smith was a second-teamer two seasons ago.
 
In addition to Nadeau, the second CIS dream team for 2010-11 is comprised of UNB right side Jill Blanchard of Saint John, Ottawa setter Tess Edwards of Ottawa, Alberta setter Jaki Ellis of Mississauga, Ont., Brandon left side Teagan Hunter of Brandon, Man., McGill middle Kelsey Irwin of Vancouver, and Laval left side Marie-Christine Mondor of Mascouche, Que., all first-time all-Canadians.
 
Joining Nadeau on the CIS all-rookie unit were Roberts, Wilkerson and Perrin, as well as Manitoba left side Rachel Cockrell of Winnipeg, Ottawa left side Myriam English of Ottawa and Brandon middle Meaghan Robertson of Brandon. 
 
2010-2011 CIS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS
 
Mary Lyons Award (player of the year): Shanice Marcelle, UBC
Mark Tennant Award (rookie of the year): Marie-Sophie Nadeau, Montreal
Libero of the year: Donata Huebert, Brandon
Coach of the year, presented by Coaches of Canada: Ryan Hofer, Trinity Western
Thérèse Quigley Award (student-athlete / community involvement): Jen Hinze, UBC
 
First Team

Position - Athlete - University - Year - Hometown - Faculty

Outside Kara Jansen Van Doorn Trinity Western5 Langley, B.C. GENR
Setter Alexandra Lojen Montreal 4 Montreal, Que. Law
Left Side Shanice Marcelle UBC 3 Victoria, B.C. Human Kinetics
Middle Kylen Van Osch Guelph 5 Exeter, Ont. Biomedical St.
Right Side Mélanie Savoie Laval 5 St-Sylvestre, Que. Education
Left Side Kerri Smit Saint Mary's 4 Shubenacadie, N.S. Arts
Right Side Ashley Voth Manitoba 5 Winnipeg, Man. Kinesiology

Second Team

Right Side Jill Blanchard UNB 5 Saint John, N.B. Science
Setter Tess Edwards Ottawa 5 Ottawa, Ont. Communication
Setter Jaki Ellis Alberta 3 Mississauga, Ont. Phys. Education
Left Side Teagan Hunter Brandon 5 Brandon, Man. Education
Middle Kelsey Irwin McGill 5 Vancouver, B.C. Arts
Left Side Marie-Christine Mondor Laval 4 Mascouche, Que. Sports Interv.
Outside Marie-Sophie Nadeau Montreal 1 St-Aimé, Que. Arts & Sciences

All-Rookie Team

Left Side Rachel Cockrell Manitoba 1 Winnipeg, Man. University 1
Left Side Myriam English Ottawa 1 Ottawa, Ont. Social Sciences
Outside Marie-Sophie Nadeau Montreal 1 St-Aimé, Que. Arts & Sciences
Middle Alicia Perrin Trinity Western1 Creston, B.C. Human Kinetics
Outside Brandie Wilkerson York 1 Brampton, Ont. Comm.
Middle Meaghan Robertson Brandon 1 Brandon, Man. BPES
Middle Jessica Roberts StFX 1 Calgary, Alta. Human Kinetics

-CIS-