Nov. 13, 2026 - One of the most decorated players in Manitoba Bisons women's volleyball history, Lorriann Ludwig (Sawatzky) built an extraordinary career defined by multiple championships, individual excellence and a lasting impact on the program.
A two-time CIAU National Champion and Player of the Year, Ludwig rewrote the Bisons record books, earning national recognition for her achievements on and off the court. She would go on to continue her volleyball journey internationally as a six-year professional in Europe, before returning to Manitoba to give back to the volleyball community as a coach.
The Manitoba Bisons will honour Ludwig's Canada West Hall of Fame induction with a special ceremony before their game against Alberta tonight at 7:45 p.m. CDT.
Fans can view all previous Hall of Fame inductees on the Canada West Hall of Fame website.
Lorriann Ludwig (Sawatzky) - Athlete Category
Manitoba Bisons Women's Volleyball, 1990-95
A Winnipeg product, power hitter Lorriann Ludwig (Sawatzky) carved out a decorated career in the 1990s for the Bisons women's volleyball team. A two-time CIAU National Champion and Player of the Year, she still holds numerous school records that will never be broken, and was a major catalyst for the team's success during their most dominant period as a program.
The Manitoba Junior Player of the Year in 1991, Ludwig was an immediate difference-maker for Manitoba. The team lost just 27 sets in the 1991 campaign and 30 the following year, securing their second and third straight national championships. Ludwig was named a GPAC All-Star in 1992, and was a five-time national medallist overall.
A dynamic six-row player, Ludwig etched her name in history as one of the best to ever don the Bisons colours. The CIAU Player of the Year in 1994-95, as well as a CIAU Second Team All-Canadian in 1992-93, and First Team All-Canadian in 1993-94 and 1994-95, she re-wrote Manitoba's record books in emphatic fashion. Ludwig established new career bests in kills (2,569), aces (382) and attempts (7,107), while bringing the lethal jump spin serve to national prominence. She's also second all-time in school history in career digs, with 2,293. Ludwig capped her Bisons career in style in 1994-95, setting the single season school record for aces, with 135, one year after setting new single-season program bests for kills (718) and attempts (2,077).
At the institutional level, Ludwig was recognized as Bisons Female Athlete of the Year in 1994 and 1995. She was the first female to earn back-to-back Athlete of the Year recognition for the school in 25 years, and is one of just eight females overall to accomplish the feat in the 63-year history of the award. A five-time Academic All-Canadian, Ludwig was also honoured in 1993-94 with the inaugural TSN award, presented to the top player in the country combining academics, athletic and community service.
Ludwig was also co-captain of Canada's FISU World University Games team in 1995, and enjoyed a six-year pro career in France and Germany following her university days. She continues to give back to the volleyball community to this day as a coach.
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 2026-27 season.
