John Taylor athlete prepares for Alberta

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This article was published 03/07/2017 (3108 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A season of hard work has earned Jennifer Saj of John Taylor Collegiate a nomination for the Credit Unions of Manitoba Scholar Athlete Awards.

The volleyball athlete, who just graduated from Grade 12, will be heading to Olds College, Alta. this fall to study and play with the team there. Saj said Olds stood out from the other schools seeking her talents.

“It’s a small little town, it’s in the Alberta conference, so I think it will be a good fit moving from a smaller school to another smaller school and to start playing college next year and then maybe university or another college after that,” Saj said.

Saj has always been interested in sports but her older sister’s love for volleyball encouraged her own passion on the game.

“In middle school I played basically every sport but in high school I knew it was volleyball,” Saj said. “I think it was the mental aspect of it. It’s more than a physical sport, you have to be smart, so it’s a lot of mental skill.”

The 5-foot-9 athlete played for her school and for Mavericks club team, and she also plays beach volleyball. She says volleyball has taught her a lot, both on and off the court.

“It’s about staying calm in high pressure situations, that’s the biggest thing,” she said.

“And then working as a team. You always have a different team, different personalities you have to work with and it’s about working to be a leader and leading by example.”

Saj says her nomination for the Credit Union of Manitoba Scholar Athlete award was a result of a successful season as well as a high academic average.

“And for being a leader in the community too,” said Saj, who was active in student council, philanthropy and who volunteered her time to help out younger athletes at John Taylor.

Her efforts were recognized at the John Taylor athletic banquet, where Saj was named most valuable player for varsity volleyball as well as female athlete of the year.

“We had a pretty small team but we made some big improvements,” she said of the season. “We worked together as a team.”

Saj’s high school coach, Dale Precourt, said the Pipers had a good season, finishing third in the AAA provincial standing.

“We didn’t have the finish we wanted but sometimes that’s the way it goes,” he said.

“Jen has been one of the nicest, hardest-working players I have ever coached. Her hard work and attention to fine details will definitely help her play at the next level.
“She is always striving to get better at the game and never gives up.”