Humber College volleyball star Landis Doyle is capping her athletic career on top of her game as she was named the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) female volleyball 2010/11 player of the year. It is the first time a Humber volleyball athlete has won the award.
The award was announced March 9 in Saint John, NB, where Doyle is with the rest of the Humber Hawks, as they compete at the CCAA national championships at the University of New Brunswick. The Pickering, ON native led the Humber Hawks to a 24-1 record and the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) title, the fourth straight women’s volleyball championship for Humber.
“I’m honoured and surprised by this award. There are so many excellent and deserving players, it’s flattering to be named CCAA player of the year,” said Doyle, who plays middle for the Hawks. “I’m grateful to my coaches and my teammates. This award belongs as much to them as it does to me. My time at Humber has been amazing. I wanted to play volleyball wherever I went to school. I came to Humber for the academic program, and I’m glad I did.”
A third-year graphics design diploma student, Doyle juggles practices, games, volunteering at Humber community volleyball clinics and her studies. She has excelled academically and was named a 2010/11 Academic All-Canadian and an OCAA Academic All-Ontarian.
"I don't have a big social life right now," she said with a smile. "It's mostly practices, games and school. Plus sometimes a two-hour commute. Lots of nights, I'm up until three or four in the morning working on assignments. It can be a challenge to get everything done."
Doyle tries to deflect attention from her personal achievements, but success on the court in her last season has put the spotlight on the quiet star. She now holds the OCAA records for career points and aces, after breaking the previous records of 1,035 points and 188 aces. She has also been named a two-time All-Canadian, two-time OCAA Player of the Year, and won numerous other awards.
Her coach, Chris Wilkins, says that even with all the records, honours and awards, Doyle remains focused on the team goals.
“Landis’ humility and dedication to the team makes her special. She is a unique individual who’s a true team player, one that avoids the personal spotlight, but embraces the role of being the go-to player on the court when needed,” he said. “Sometimes the player of the year is awarded to the person who had the best year, and other times it is based on honouring the athlete's career achievements. This is one of the rare times that the recipient is truly deserving from both points of view."
Humber honoured Doyle this year by making her just the fifth women’s volleyball player to have her jersey number retired.
"I remember in my first year one of the girls I looked up to got her jersey retired. Now it's my turn and some of the younger girls are looking up at me," she said. "It's the biggest honour a school can give you; I couldn't have asked for anything more."
