Gabrielle-Roy student nabs prestigious volleyball scholarship

Noah Ouimet isn’t walking away from the volleyball season empty handed. While Gabrielle-Roy’s varsity team came up one game short of a provincial AA championship, the Grade 12 student was recognized for his strong play as left side and role as team captain this season.

In addition to being named a A-AAA volleyball Manitoba graduating all-star, Oumet was one of four players to receive the Dr. Dale Iwanoczko Memorial Volleyball Scholarship.

The scholarship is named after Iwanockzo, a outstanding volleyball player from Selkirk, who went onto lead the Manitoba Bisons to a national championship in 1991 while earning a medical degree. He would die at only 30-years-old after battling Hodgkin’s disease.

To be eligible for the award, a student must have a academic average of over 75 per cent, as well as proficiency in volleyball, which was no problem for Ouimet, as he held a 92 per cent average over his grade 10 and 11 years.

“According to his varsity coaches, Noah has always been a reliable player, continually striving to keep the fight alive, quick at solving problems on the court, while also positively motivating himself and his teammates to improve,” a news release from the Manitoba High School Athletic Association reads.

Ouimet isn’t just an outstanding player on the court, he also helps bring passion for volleyball to younger players, helping to coach middle school players. He also suits up for Les Roys in hockey and baseball.

Ella Werbiski from Vincent Massey High School in Brandon and Luke Lodewyks and Fiona Brown from Oak Park High School also received the $1,000 scholarship this year.

Ouimet will be attending the Université de Saint-Boniface next year, where he plans to join Les Rouges to continue his volleyball career in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference.