MVB: Heslinga named CW Player of the Year

March 7, 2024 - Alberta's Isaac Heslinga has been named the 2024 Canada West Men's Volleyball Player of the Year.

Heslinga's 373 kills were the third most ever for a Golden Bear in a single season. His remarkable .380 attack percentage led the conference and was second in all of U SPORTS. ​

Heslinga and the Golden Bears will take on rival Trinity Western in the CW Final this Friday, marking the fourth straight championship meeting between Alberta and TWU. The Spartans were also represented on the major awards list, with standout rookie Piers de Greeff named Rookie of the Year. UBC's Logan Greves was named Libero of the Year, TRU head coach Pat Hennelly was recognized as Coach of the Year, while Alberta's Grayden Wiebe was the recipient of the Student-Athlete Community Service Award.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Isaac Heslinga, Alberta

For the second-consecutive season, the best player in Canada West Men’s Volleyball is an Alberta Golden Bear, as third-year outside Isaac Heslinga was named the 2023-24 Player of the Year.

The Orangeville, Ont. product finished fourth in Canada West with 373 kills and third with 446.5 points, adding 39 aces and 142 digs. His remarkable .380 attack percentage was tops in the conference and second in U SPORTS, as he led the Golden Bears to an 18-6 record and the No. 1 seed in Canada West.

His kill total is the third most ever for a Bear in a single season, while his 4.14 kills per set is the highest by an Alberta athlete since the turn of the century. Only one Bear has ever recorded more than Heslinga’s 446.5 points in a single season.

Heslinga is the 11^th Golden Bear to be named the Canada West Player of the Year, with each of the previous 10 also winning the U SPORTS Player of the Year Award.

“Isaac has had a very impressive year which anyone can see through the stat lines, he's been our top point scorer and leading receiver making him a very well-rounded player. Isaac is very detailed and extremely motivated, I'm very proud of him for the investment he has put into our team and his craft. I'm sure being recognized for the outcome of this investment is a real honour for Isaac, especially to follow in the footsteps of last year's Player of the Year and former teammate Jordan Canham. Isaac's capacity for growth is very impressive, as is his volleyball IQ. His burgeoning leadership role on the court and in the locker room have made a huge impact on our success this year.” -Brock Davidiuk, Head Coach, Alberta Golden Bears

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Piers de Greeff, Trinity Western

The Victoria, B.C. native, de Greeff, had an outstanding rookie season for the Spartans. The first-year human kinetics student led all rookies in kills, finishing with 193, while helping the Spartans to a third-place finish in the Canada West regular season. De Greeff also led the Spartans in digs/set at 1.39 and was third for kills (193), kills/set (2.33), points (217), and points/set (2.6).

Trinity Western finished the Canada West regular season 16-8 and in third place, and has qualified for their 12^th straight Canada West gold medal match.

De Greeff is the fourth Spartan to win the Canada West Rookie of the Year, following Chris Meehan (2001-02), Adam Schriemer (2013-14), and Eric Loeppky (2016-17).

“Sometimes it is surprising to see rookies have a big impact but that is not the case with Piers. Piers has entered our team and this league more game-ready than most players his age. There are not a lot of holes in his game. He is an elite blocker, passer, and spiker. His ability to transition into the Canada West and U SPORTS has been so fun to watch. If you have watched Piers play over the past couple of years, you would not be surprised by how well he performed for us this year. What we love about Piers is he is the best guy and best teammate. The joy and excitement he plays with make him fun to watch. Piers the person and player is so deserving of this award, and we can’t wait to see him develop over the next four years.” -Adam Schriemer, Head Coach, TWU Spartans

LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Logan Greves, UBC

A stalwart leader of UBC’s defence, Logan Greves has been named the 2023-24 Canada West Libero of the Year. The third-year from Calgary led the entire conference in digs (242) and digs per set (2.55) while playing in all 95 sets over the course of the regular season.

On 517 total receptions – the fourth highest total in the conference – Greves had just 17 errors.

Helping lead the T-Birds to their first Canada West semifinal since 2020, Greves has continued his strong play in the postseason with 3.33 digs per set through four games, ​ the highest mark in the conference. He will look to help the T-Birds secure a spot at nationals as they host Winnipeg this Saturday in the Canada West bronze medal game.

“Logan has been a steadying force for us all year. He’s spent an enormous amount of time honing his craft, particularly serve receive," says Thunderbirds head coach Mike Hawkins. "He really is the best defender in the country. His athleticism and the way he reads the game is incredible but the improvements he’s made in serve receive are one of the reasons our program had success this year.”

Greves is just the second Thunderbird to win Libero of the Year and the first since Blair Bann in 2010-11.

“It’s not only the quality of receptions that he makes but he also frees up guys like Gavin (Moes) and Conaire (Taub) to maybe have a little less responsibility so they can focus on the attack. It’s incredible. Sometimes you know he played a good game but you look at the stat sheet and he had 16 or 17 digs. Some of those balls he’s genuinely stealing points for us, stealing points that nobody else in the country can steal. For us he really is a bit of a cheat code. He’s able to do things others can’t and put us in advantageous positions.” -Mike Hawkins, Head Coach, UBC Thunderbirds

COACH OF THE YEAR: Pat Hennelly, Thompson Rivers

After showing exceptional leadership through unimaginable tragedy, WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly has been named the Canada West Coach of the Year for the first time in his illustrious career.

Leading the ‘Pack since 2005-06 – TRU’s first season at the Canada West level - Hennelly has three appearances at the U SPORTS National Championships and ten trips to the conference playoffs during his time at the helm.

Exemplifying the idea that being a coach is about much more than results on the field of play, Hennelly provided outstanding compassion and so much more in the face of the tragic car crash on Nov. 29 that took the life of Owyn McInnis and caused both Riley Brinnen and Owen Waterhouse life-altering injuries.

During his time with TRU, Hennelly has coached: 72 U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians, 15 CW All-Stars, 7 CW Award Winners, 12 U SPORTS All-Canadians and 3 U SPORTS National Award Winners.

“We are so proud and pleased to see Pat recognized as the Canada West Coach of the Year. Pat’s recognition by conference colleagues is well deserved and speaks volumes to how respected his body of work is this season. Pat’s steady leadership, compassion, work ethic, and ability to support our student-athletes - while still pushing them competitively - was inspirational to watch.” -Curtis Atkinson, Director of Athletics and Recreation, TRU WolfPack

“I am extremely happy that Pat has been recognized for his leadership and hard work throughout this entire year as well as through what was the most difficult of situations. Well deserved, congratulations to Coach Pat Hennelly!” -Scott Clark, Manager of High Performance, TRU WolfPack

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Grayden Wiebe, Alberta

The Golden Bears captain is recognized for his outstanding leadership, balancing high-performance on the court and in the classroom while also giving back to Edmonton volleyball community.

The veteran middle led Alberta to an 18-6 regular season record and a first place finish in the competitive Canada West. He was a pillar of the Bears' defence, finishing 14th in the conference with 0.86 blocks per set.

His performance in the classroom has been even more impressive. After graduating with distinction from the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program last season, Wiebe continued his academic journey this year by pursuing a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering, holding a running GPA of 4.0. He is a four-time Academic All-Canadian and Dean’s Honor List member, and a two-time Louise McKinney Scholarship Recipient, a prestigious honor awarded to the top 2% of students in the Faculty of Engineering.

Despite a hectic student-athlete schedule, Wiebe has also dedicated his time to many community initiatives. He has presented energy topics to children and the public as a volunteer with Future Energy Systems’ “Energy Explorers” program. He also aims to inspire the next generation of volleyball athletes through the FOG "G" Volleyball club, coordinating Golden Bear athletes to assist with coaching training sessions. He served as an assistant coach for a U14 Girls Developmental Club Team with FOG, and assisted at "Dream Camp," a volleyball camp in Edmonton organized by the Indigenous Peoples of Montreal Lake for Indigenous student-athletes.

"Grayden's remarkable ability to excel in high-performance athletics while maintaining near-perfect grades and contributing extensively to the community is truly inspiring. Despite his demanding schedule, he never misses early morning lifts, social time with the team, or study hall responsibilities, all while carrying a smile on his face and a skip in his step. Adding to his achievements, he recently got married! As our team captain, Grayden stands out as one of the strongest and most well-rounded leaders I have had the privilege to coach during my time with the Bears." -Brock Davidiuk, Head Coach, Alberta Golden Bears