Support4Sport Award Winner Announced

The Support4Sport Awards is the largest sport recognition event in Nova Scotia. This year’s event was held on May 27th, at the Halifax Convention Centre. Sport Nova Scotia hosted the event, with approximately 200 athletes, coaches, officials, sponsors, volunteers, and community sport associations in attendance.
 
Volleyball Nova Scotia is thrilled to congratulate the following winners: 
 
Coach of the Year ~ Shaniya Vance, Sydney
Shaniya shows great dedication to the growth of volleyball in NS. She is a determined leader who inspires all who know her. In the last year alone, Shaniya has given much of herself to the young athletes of Volleyball Cape Breton and has poured herself into the Canada Games program. She is a member of the Coaching Association of Canada's Aboriginal Apprentice Coach Program and serves as head coach for the 19U Team Mi'Kmaw that will compete in July's North American Indigenous Games. 
 
Volunteer of the Year ~ Shayla Gloade, Halifax
Shayla is a keen volunteer who brings positive energy wherever she goes. Volunteering for volleyball and increasing the participation in First Nations communities has been an ongoing goal for Shayla. She has a great deal of passion and knowledge to provide but always goes out of her way to promote inclusivity whether it is school, work, or volunteering. She has a way of bringing people together..
 
Referee of the Year ~ Phyllis Longobardi, Halifax
On top of her regular duties as a referee, Phyllis has taken on the responsibility of evaluating and mentoring Nova Scotia's newest referees. Over the past 12 months, Phyllis has travelled thousands of kilometers to evaluated and educated almost 50 newly trained officials. She loves helping referees start off on the right foot, and she cares deeply about their development. She understands that the more prepared a referee is, the better they'll ref, and the better their experience will be in the sport. She is a tireless mentor who goes out of her way to help develop referees in Nova Scotia.
 
Female Athlete of the Year ~ Grace Calnan, Dartmouth
Grace was named to Volleyball Canada’s Next Gen National Team and spent the summer training at the National Training Centre in Richmond, B.C. She competed internationally at the Pan Am Cup in Mexico, as well as the Pan Am Final Six in the Dominican Republic. This past March, Grace helped the Dalhousie Tigers win bronze at the USport National Championships.
 
Male Athlete of the Year ~ Tynan Gannett, Dartmouth
Tynan has grown into a tremendous blocker and someone who thrives under pressure. He was instrumental in helping Nova Scotia's Men's Beach Volleyball Team finish 4th at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara, Ontario. He built on that success and was later selected to Volleyball Canada's Next Gen Male Beach Program where he now trains full-time at the National Team Training Centre in Toronto.
 
Team of the Year ~ Canada Game’s Men’s Beach Volleyball
Tynan Gannett and Josh DeYoung worked extremely hard for three seasons leading up to the Canada Games in Niagara where they were able to finish an impressive 4th place. The two emerged from adversity in pool play to beat a strong Alberta team in 2 straight sets to reach the semi-finals where they were able to play one of their best matches of the year in the bronze medal game. 
 
Partner of the Year ~ Sportwheels Sports Excellence, Sackville
Sportwheels has made a large investment in the sport of volleyball over the past several years.  They carry a line of Volleyball Nova Scotia clothing as well as volleyball gear and equipment. Their staff are knowledgeable and genuinely care about the volleyball community. They have quickly become the go to spot for Nova Scotians looking to purchase volleyball gear.

Once again, congratulations to our outstanding Support4Sport Award winners!
 
To learn more about the Support4Sport Awards, click HERE.