Mary Lyons Award Explained

Abovestyle:background: #FFC600;
Above:Mary Lyons Award
Label1:Sport
Data1:Indoor volleyball
Label2:League
Data2:U Sports
Label3:First awarded
Data3:1981 to Andrée Ledoux
Label4:Most recent
Data4:Raya Surinx,
Manitoba Bisons
Label5:Website
Data5:usports.ca

The Mary Lyons Award is awarded annually to the women's volleyball player of the year in U Sports (previously named Canadian Interuniversity Sport).[1] The award is named after Mary Lyons who served as president of the Ontario-Quebec Women’s Conference Intercollegiate Association (OQWCIA) and the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Association (OWIAA), and as a director of the Canadian Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU) and the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU).[2] [3] Lyons, a graduate of Queen's University and the State University of New York, also served as Co-ordinator of Women's Interuniversity Athletics at York University for 26 years and coached the York Yeowomen volleyball team for seven years.[4]

Eight players have won the award multiple times, but no player has claimed the award more than twice. The Winnipeg Wesmen program has featured the most winners of the award, with nine, including the most consecutive winners with seven from 1983 to 1989. Following the cancellation of the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no award winner in 2021.[5]

List of winners

SeasonWinnerTeam
1980-81 Laval Rouge et Or
1981-82 Dalhousie Tigers
1982-83 Winnipeg Wesmen
1983-84 Jamie Hancharyk Winnipeg Wesmen
1984-85 Winnipeg Wesmen
1985-86 Winnipeg Wesmen
1986-87 Winnipeg Wesmen
1987-88 Brenda Boroski Winnipeg Wesmen
1988-89 Winnipeg Wesmen
1989-90 Victoria Vikettes
1990-91 Manitoba Bisons
1991-92 Michelle Sawatzky Manitoba Bisons
1992-93 Winnipeg Wesmen
1993-94 Winnipeg Wesmen
1994-95 Manitoba Bisons
1995-96 Alberta Pandas
1996-97 Miroslava Pribylova Alberta Pandas
1997-98 Manitoba Bisons
1998-99 Alberta Pandas
1999-00 Jenny Cartmell Alberta Pandas
2000-01 Calgary Dinos
2001-02 Manitoba Bisons
2002-03 Laval Rouge et Or
2003-04 Calgary Dinos
2004-05 Joanna Niemczewska Calgary Dinos
2005-06 Laval Rouge et Or
2006-07 Alberta Pandas
2007-08 Montréal Carabins
2008-09 Laetitia Tchoualack Montréal Carabins
2009-10 UBC Thunderbirds
2010-11 UBC Thunderbirds
2011-12 UBC Thunderbirds
2012-13 Shanice Marcelle UBC Thunderbirds
2013-14 UBC Thunderbirds
2014-15 Manitoba Bisons
2015-16 Thompson Rivers WolfPack
2016-17 Alberta Pandas
2017-18 Montréal Carabins
2018-19 UBC Thunderbirds
2019-20 Dalhousie Tigers
2020-21 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 Alberta Pandas
2022-23 UFV Cascades
2023-24 Manitoba Bisons

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mary Lyons Award (Play of the Year). U Sports. July 27, 2020.
  2. Web site: Former York women’s varsity coordinator Mary Lyons passes away. Ontario University Athletics. October 6, 2014. July 27, 2020.
  3. Web site: Obituaries, Mary Elizabeth Lyons. yourlifemoments.ca. July 27, 2020.
  4. Web site: Hall of Fame, Mary Lyons. York Lions. July 27, 2020.
  5. Web site: U Sports unable to offer national championships in winter 2021 . October 15, 2020 . usports.ca . U Sports.