Manitoba Bisons women's volleyball is thrilled to announce that two-time U SPORTS Player of the Year and Canada West Hall of Famer Michelle Sawatzky-Koop is joining the team's coaching staff in 2021-22.
Sawatzky-Koop has an incredible breadth of experience in volleyball. As a player, she won three national championships at the university level and a bronze medal with Canada at the Pan American Games. In 1996, she competed at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where Canada earned a ninth-place finish.
As a coach, she has worked at the club and high school level, with both boys and girls — most recently with the Junior Bisons 18U boys' team, alongside current Bisons men's volleyball coach Arnd "Lupo" Ludwig.
"We are incredibly excited to have Michelle join our coaching staff for this season and beyond," said Bisons women's volleyball coach Ken Bentley, who enters his 36th year this fall.
"She brings both an Olympic level of knowledge and passion to our team and is an asset in every way. Michelle has long been a coach in our community and has also assumed leadership positions within Volleyball Manitoba over the last number of years. Along with our full-time assistant coach Sydney Purvis, we have an exceptional leadership group that our athletes benefit from each day."
"I am beyond excited to be back in the gym as a Bison," said Sawatzky-Koop. "It's like coming home for me. I always knew that I wanted to be back on the women's side of volleyball and I can't imagine having had a better place to land."
"I am proud to be associated with this program, excited to learn from Ken what it really takes to coach at this level and to bring some of my playing and coaching experience to the girls. I hope I can bring a breath of fresh air into the gym and simply add to the belief that is already here — that anything is possible."
Born in Steinbach, Michelle Sawatzky-Koop chose volleyball early on and found success quickly within the Manitoba Bisons program. She was a two-time U SPORTS (then-CIS) Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992, part of an unprecedented run of three national championships (1990-92) for Manitoba. In 1995, she was part of Canada's bronze medal finish at the Pan American Games in Argentina. In March 1996, the senior national team qualified for the Olympic Games and in July of that same year, the team finished 9th at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Sawatzky-Koop was the Bison Sports Female Athlete of the Year in 1992-93 and was part of the inaugural class for the Canada West Hall of Fame, inducted in 2019.
After her playing career, Michelle took a break from the sport of volleyball but soon returned as a coach. After working at the 17U club volleyball and with the Steinbach Regional Secondary (SRSS) varsity girls' team, she coached her twin boys with the Providence Junior Pilots. She led that group to a gold and three bronze medals provincially, as well as a national 14U Division 1, Tier 1 silver medal and a National 15U Division 1, Tier 1 bronze medal.
The core of that team also won the AAAA Junior Varsity Provincial Championship with SRSS and made it to final four in both varsity years.
Bisons women's volleyball opens their conference season on Thursday, November 4 at the Duckworth Centre. Their home opener takes place Saturday, November 6 at 1 p.m. versus the Wesmen.
