Howard Jackson, Karin Maessen, and 81-82 Tigers to be Honoured

As players, coaches, and builders, both Howie and Karin have made incredible contributions to the sport of volleyball in Nova Scotia. As a team, the 1981-82 Tigers were able to do something that had never been done, and has yet to be matched, win a University National Championship!!! They are all true role models, and represent the very best in our community!

Howard (Howie) Jackson - Class of 2022

Over the course of his 40 year volleyball career, Howard (Howie) Jackson made a tremendous contribution to the volleyball community as a referee and coach. 
 


Howard was first introduced to the sport while coaching school volleyball and immediately fell in love with the game. Over time he developed a reputation as a wise, inspirational, and fun leader, and would go on to coach at Canada Games, at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), and at Dalhousie University where he was assistant coach of the 1984 silver medal Tigers. Over his coaching career, Howard would lead MSVU to 8 ACAA Championships earning 3 ACAA Coach of the Year Awards in the process.

In 1970, Howard become a referee, and 13 busy years later received his international level referee certification, which at the time, made him one of only 12 Canadians to hold that accreditation. As a world class referee, Howard was invited to several major international competitions, including the World University Games, the Pacific Rim Games, and the Pan American Games.
 
On top of his on-court referee duties, Howard would play an instrumental role in the development of referees by becoming a Referee Supervisor and Evaluator helping to guide and mentor future generations of volleyball officials in Nova Scotia. Howard also coached Provincial Team athletes and gave his time generously to player development camps across the province. Howard Jackson always encouraged male and female athletes in their pursuit of the sport of volleyball.
 
Howard passed away on November 10th, 2011.

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1981-82 Dalhousie Tigers Women’s Volleyball Team - Class of 2022



By winning the CIAU Championship, the 1981-82 Dalhousie Tigers Women’s Volleyball Team became, and remain, the only Atlantic University volleyball team - women or men - to win a National Championship. Most of the team, including the team’s co-captains, Karin Maessen and Karen Fraser, were from Nova Scotia, making this incredible achievement even more noteworthy.
 
That season the Tigers played a challenging regular league season and six out of province tournaments posting a record of 37 and 15. The experience gained in all those matches proved invaluable and helped the team raise their level of play to peak at the National CIAU Championships hosted by Dalhousie University.
 
The Tigers went into the 1982 CIAU Championship tournament as the fifth seed in the six team event. Despite their ranking, the team opened on their first day with 3-0 match wins over York (#2 Seed) and Laval (#1 Seed). On the second day of the tournament, the Tigers lost their third game 1-3 to Calgary (#3 Seed). The team would then bounce back to take the last two round-robin matches in straight sets with victories over Memorial (#6 Seed) and Winnipeg (#4 Seed). With a match record of 4-1, the team was in the gold medal match.
 
The Tigers faced Calgary in the final, the only team to beat them in the total round-robin. More than twelve hundred fans would pack the Dalplex to cheer on the home team. The Tigers started the match by easily winning the first two sets but Calgary would fight back to take the next two. In the final set, the Tigers jumped out to an early 13-5 lead before Calgary closed the gap to 13-11. With the gold medal on the line, the Tigers refused to let Calgary earn another point and won the fifth and deciding set 15-11 to take the championship.
 
The Tigers starting line-up included setter Karin Maessen (CIAU Player of the Year, Championship All-Star and MVP), middle blocker Karen Fraser (CIAU All-Canadian, Championship All-Star), middle blocker Brenda Turne, rightside Kathy Andrea, and leftside power hitters Veronika Schmidt and Bev Audet. Beth Yeomans, Janet Rhymes, Lorraine Cunningham, Kathy Cox, Diana Dowthwaite and Lyann Fougere rounded out the deep Tigers’ squad.
 
Head coach Lois MacGregor noted the teams’ cohesiveness and dedication to each other as important elements in their success. “They all worked together. They cared for each other as a group. It was a really a very close family.” 

Coaches
Lois MacGregor (coach) - Hometown - Halifax
Cindy Moore (assistant coach) - Hometown -Halifax
Pat Elliot (manager) - Hometown - Halifax 
Sher Bagnell - Hometown - Halifax
Julie Brown - Hometown - Halifax
 
Players
Karin Maessen Hometown - Halifax
Karen Fraser Hometown - Halifax
Brenda Turner  - Hometown - New Germany, NS
Kathy Andrea - Hometown - Dartmouth 
Veronika Schmidt - Hometown - Dartmouth 
Bev Audet - Hometown - Miramachi
Beth Yeomans - Hometown - Dartmouth 
Janet Rhymes - Hometown - Dartmouth 
Lorraine Cunningham - Hometown - Halifax 
Kathy Cox - Hometown - Windsor Junction
Diana Dowthwaite - Hometown - Dartmouth 
Lyann Fougere - Hometown - Halifax
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Karin Maessen - Class of 2022



Halifax native, Karin Maessen began her sporting career at Queen Elizabeth High School where she excelled in a number of different sports. Karin would ultimately focus on volleyball and go on to achieve tremendous individual and team success. She would quickly become a very strong player and in her last year at Queen Elizabeth High School, her contribution to the volleyball team were so impressive that she was recognized as not only as the Team MVP, but also as the Female Athlete of the Year for the entire school. Karin would also play for the Provincial Team and represented Nova Scotia on the 1975 Canada Games Team, in Lethbridge.
 
In her first year in University, Karin led the Dalhousie Tigers women’s volleyball team to an AUAA championship and was named team MVP. That year she won the Class of 55 Trophy as the University’s outstanding female athlete; the only first year athlete to ever earn this accomplishment. Karin would go on to win that award two more times in 1981 and 1982.
 
For her incredible performances within Atlantic Canada, Karin garnered AUAA women’s volleyball All-Star awards in 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984; AUAA league MVP in 1981 and 1982; and AUAA tournament MVP in 1980 and 1982. For her outstanding play at National Championships, she would be recognized as a CIAU First Team All-Canadian in 1980, 1981 and 1982 as well as winning the CIAU Outstanding Player of the Year award in 1982.
 
At the 1982 CIAU National Championships, Karin would lead the Dalhousie Tigers to a gold medal. To this date, no other Atlantic university volleyball team has been able to replicate this incredible achievement. On top of winning a gold medal in 1982, Karin was able to help her team earn a silver medal at the 1984 CIAU National Championships.  
 
Karin would go on to have a tremendous career on the international stage where she would feature on Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team for nine years. Her illustrious international career would see her compete in three World Championships; two Pan American Games, two World University Games, and many tours in Central America, South America, North America, Europe, and Asia. She would also go on the play for Nimes in the professional league in France.
 
Karin’s knowledge and passion would allow her to make significant contributions to the sport as a coach where she would lead the women’s volleyball programs at Saint Mary’s University, Dalhousie University, the University of Victoria, and the Nova Scotia Canada Games Team.
 
Karin Maessen was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1994. That year women’s volleyball Head Coach, Lois MacGregor had this to say of her former player, “She was a coach’s dream athlete as she gave 150% every time she stepped on the court – in practices and in games- a delight to coach, and a wonderful, caring compassionate person to know.”



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Volleyball Nova Scotia's Hall of Fame celebrates the outstanding achievements of athletes, coaches, referees, teams, and builders from across the province. These individuals represent the very best of our sport, not only by virtue of their athletic achievement but also through their dedication and commitment.