In the Fall of 2015 coach John Slauenwhite recognized the need to provide greater financial support for his players and began designing a long-term plan. Working with volleyball alumni and community supporters they set up an endowment fund to benefit women's volleyball players in any year of study or academic program. Their hard work is now paying dividends.
Coach Slauenwhite is delighted to announce that the first recipient of the Alumni and Friends of Women's Volleyball Award is Catherine Smith, a first year Bachelor of Science student. "Catherine is exceptional student athlete who works extremely hard in all aspects of her life. She's acutely focused on being a student of the game and pushes herself and teammates to do their best on a daily basis. I'm excited to have the opportunity to watch Catherine's development into a future leader in our community of student-athletes" stated coach Slauenwhite. Catherine is also a past member of the Sea-Hawks High Performance Volleyball Club teams.
The Alumni and Friends of Women's Volleyball Award is now a permanent part of the team culture and will continue to grow with the support of the volleyball community. One of the biggest contributors to the fund is the Sea-Hawks High Performance Volleyball Club. In addition, the annual Burger King Classic Volleyball Tournament administered by the Sea-Hawks Women's Volleyball team sees the proceeds of the tournament directed to the fund.
Since the fund's creation over $12,000 has been raised towards the endowment. Coach Slauenwhite is adamant that he and his team will continue their efforts to build this fund until every player on his team is supported with some form of financial assistance.
Alumni and Friends of Women's Volleyball who may wish to contribute the success of Sea-Hawks Women's Volleyball, may make a charitable gift to the fund by clicking here or on the button below.
Coach Slauenwhite wished to express his sentiments to the volleyball community, "On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank our very generous community of supporters for their gifts to this fund. Together, we can make sure that all of our players are given the best opportunity to excel on the courts and in the classroom by easing the financial challenges of a post-secondary education."