Pakhomenko's dominant legacy honoured with Canada West Hall of Fame induction
Former WolfPack star helped transform TRU women's volleyball
Jan. 22, 2026 - It’s rare for a single student-athlete to redefine the trajectory of a program, but Iuliia Pakhomenko did exactly that for the Thompson Rivers WolfPack women’s volleyball team.
Across three standout seasons in Kamloops, Pakhomenko established herself as one of the most dominant players in Canada West and the national U SPORTS landscape. She left TRU as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in WolfPack history, and her impact has now been formally recognized with an induction into the Canada West Hall of Fame's Class of 2025-26 in the Athlete category.
The WolfPack will honour Pakhomenko during a special pre-match ceremony when the current edition of the women’s volleyball team hosts the Fraser Valley Cascades this Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT (stream live on Canada West TV – Powered by BioSteel). Pakhomenko remains closely connected to the program, currently serving as an assistant coach with the WolfPack.
Pakhomenko is one of eight inductees into the Canada West Hall of Fame's Class of 2025-26 which was unveiled earlier this month. Individual inductee spotlights will continue throughout the remainder of the season.
Fans can view all previous Hall of Fame inductees on the Canada West Hall of Fame website.
Iuliia Pakhomenko - Athlete Category
Thompson Rivers WolfPack, Women's Volleyball (2014-17)
One of the most impactful student-athletes to ever don a Thompson Rivers WolfPack uniform, Iuliia Pakhomenko left an indelible mark on the program during her three seasons with the women’s volleyball team. Arriving at TRU as an immediate difference-maker, Pakhomenko played a central role in reshaping the competitive identity of the WolfPack and elevating the program to regular postseason contention.
Pakhomenko’s impact was felt instantly in her rookie campaign. Joining a team coming off two winless 0–22 seasons, she powered the WolfPack to a dramatic turnaround in 2014–15, helping TRU post 10 wins. She ranked second in Canada West with 405 kills and an average of 4.60 kills per set, earning Canada West First Team All-Star honour and U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian recognition.
She raised her game even further in 2015–16, delivering one of the most dominant individual seasons in conference history. Pakhomenko led Canada West with 425 kills and 4.67 kills per set - finishing 63 kills clear of the next closest athlete - while guiding the WolfPack to a 12–12 record, sixth place in the conference standings, and just the second Canada West playoff appearance in program history. That season, she was named U SPORTS Player of the Year, Canada West Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year, and Canada West Female Athlete of the Year, becoming the only WolfPack athlete to ever earn the latter honour across all conference sports.
In her final season in 2016–17, Pakhomenko continued to set the standard, once again leading the conference in kills with 381 (4.65 per set) as the WolfPack returned to the postseason with a 13–11 record. She closed her collegiate career as a three-time U SPORTS All-Canadian and and a three-time Canada West First Team All-Star.
Pakhomenko’s name remains etched throughout the Canada West record books. She ranks first in conference career history with 4.60 kills per set, second in single-season kills (425) and points (496.5), and third in career aces per set (.502). She also owns seven of the top ten highest kill performances in Canada West history.
ABOUT THE CANADA WEST HALL OF FAME
For the last century, organized university sport has been a central part of the student experience at institutions across Western Canada. Beginning with the University of Manitoba capturing the first Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WCIAU) men's hockey banner in 1919-20, student-athletes have been competing to reach their full potential in sport and the classroom, while enriching campus life.
To commemorate 100 years of university sport across Western Canada, the Canada West Hall of Fame was created in the spring of 2019. This year's induction class will be unveiled throughout the 2025-26 season.