Shanice Marcelle of Victoria didn鈥檛 have much time to savour being named BLG Award winner as the most outstanding female athlete in the CIS for 2012-13 during ceremonies Monday night at the John Bassett Theatre in the Toronto Convention Centre.
She gets on a plane early this morning for the national team camp that opens this week in Winnipeg.
鈥淚n the bigger picture, I鈥檓 looking toward 2016 [Rio Summer Olympics],鈥� said the Spectrum grad, by phone from Toronto.
Not that the smaller picture has been too bad, either, as Marcelle ended her career with the UBC Thunderbirds as one of the few Canadian athletes ever to win their CIS national championship in all five seasons of eligibility.
Kyle Quinlan of McMaster, signed by the Montreal Alouettes in December and looking to become a rare Canadian quarterback in the CFL, was named male BLG Award winner.
Marcelle, a 22-year-old kinesiology graduate, and Quinlan will each receive $10,000 post-graduate scholarships.
But it may be several years before either athlete uses those awards.
鈥淪ports is my top priority right now,鈥� said Marcelle. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e only young once.鈥�
The BLG Awards show will be broadcast May 28 on Sportsnet.
The last Island athlete to win a BLG Award was also from volleyball 鈥� Oak Bay High-grad and national-team veteran Josh Howatson from Trinity Western in 2006-07. Other past BLG winners have included Olympians Curtis Myden, Brian Johns, Jessica Zelinka, Annamay Pierse, Kim St. Pierre and CFLers Jesse Lumsden and Don Blair.
Marcelle completed the quintet of CIS women鈥檚 volleyball titles with the UBC Thunderbirds dynasty this spring before returning home to help coach her old Victoria Titans club before departing for Toronto, and now Winnipeg.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a night to reflect on a career that started in Victoria . . . it鈥檚 incredible to see where it has taken me,鈥� said Marcelle, the two-time CIS MVP and five-time CIS first-team all-star, who says she can still remember the day she was coaxed into coming out for volleyball in Grade 5 by a teacher at McKenzie Elementary in Saanich.
鈥淭his award is such an honour.鈥�
Marcelle, 2009 sa国际传媒 Summer Games gold medallist and 2010 world junior championships performer in beach volleyball after having started on the old Gorge Park courts, has options on both sand and hardwood.
鈥淚t鈥檚 50/50,鈥� she said, as to which version of the sport her international destiny belongs.
In indoor club play, Marcelle plans to explore pro volleyball opportunities in Europe.
