The first time Greg Russell picked up a volleyball was in Grade 12 at Claremont Secondary, late by any standards. Little did he know it would lead him to the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics and two world championships with the Canadian national team and into the sa国际传媒 Volleyball Hall of Fame over the weekend in Burnaby with the Class of 2018.
Also inducted was legendary Victoria coach Kent Andrews, who guided the University of Victoria Vikes women鈥檚 team in sa国际传媒 West from 1969 to 1984 and sa国际传媒 to gold and silver medals at the 1975 and 1979 sa国际传媒 Games.
In his first season at UVic, Andrews coached the Vikes men鈥檚 team, on which Russell was the star player. That made going into the Hall with him that much more special.
Joining the Class of 2018 is Gary McWilliam of Comox, one of sa国际传媒鈥檚 most accomplished referees, coach John Campbell of Revelstoke, athlete Mary Macdonald and builder Marilyn Pomfret, both of Vancouver, and the 1966-67 UBC Thunderbird men鈥檚 team.
Russell was recalled as difference maker for sa国际传媒 internationally.
鈥淕reg was a supremely skilled big man with a huge heart and ferocious will to win,鈥� said former Canadian teammate Tom Jones, a statement.
Added former national team coach Bill Neville: 鈥淕reg had relentless work ethic. He was the kind of player every coach looks for 鈥� physical, no excuses, accepts every challenge. Once, while playing Cuba, he blocked one of the high-flying Cubans with his face. I hurt just watching it. Greg didn鈥檛 even wince.鈥�
Andrews, meanwhile, was doing what he loves best Monday night at Dunsmuir 鈥� refereeing a middle-school volleyball game.
Former gold-medallist sa国际传媒 team player Linda Olsen recalls every player receiving a personal letter after the sa国际传媒 Games from coach Andrews outlining every player鈥檚 individual contribution to the team.
鈥淚 loved the game, and you take something away from all your players,鈥� said Andrews, who also coached powerhouse programs at S.J. Willis Junior High School in Victoria and Gulf Islands Secondary.
The love affair with the sport began for Andrews as a kid and self-described 鈥渂each rat鈥� watching Second World War veterans 鈥� many of them POWs who were allowed to play volleyball for recreation by their captors in the German prison yards 鈥� play on Willingdon Beach in Powell River after the war.
鈥淭hey taught us so many skills,鈥� he said.
