Driedger, Vermette, nab high-profile volleyball scholarships

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This article was published 01/04/2024 (444 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a excellent year for volleyball at schools across the region, and individual players from both Steinbach Regional Secondary School and Ecole Gabrielle-Roy have been recognized for their strong seasons.

Sienna Driedger and Maxime Vermette were two of the four recipients of the Dr. Dale Iwanoczko Memorial Scholarship, which was awarded at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame March 21.

Driedger, a left side hitter committed to Trinity Western University, had an outstanding season at the high school and club level, helping the Sabres and 17U Jr Bisons clubs to provincial championships, winning most valuable player honours for both teams.

She also was a finalist in the 2023 Volleyball Manitoba varsity high school beach volleyball provincials.

Vermette, a setter, led Les Roys to their second AA varsity championship in three years, and has won most valuable player at provincials for three consecutive years.

Vermette led Gabrielle-Roy’s championship team in blocks and digs this year, and represented Manitoba at the 2023 North America Indigenous Games, winning a silver medal.

The scholarship, which awards $1,000, doesn’t just take into account accomplishments on the court. The selection committee also considers grades and community involvement.

Both Driedger and Vermette have averages in the mid-90s, and are planning to move onto university.

Vermette has volunteered with the Main Street Project and Bear Clan, while peer tutoring during lunch hours at school and helping coach a middle school team.

Driedger is a volunteer children’s teacher at her church, helps coach volleyball and soccer, and is part of the SRSS “link crew,” helping welcome students to the largest high school in Manitoba when they first arrive.

Dale Iwanoczko was a standout high school and USports volleyball player from Selkirk. He was named the country’s most valuable collegiate player in 1990, and led the Manitoba Bisons to a national championship the next year. He did that all while studying medicine, graduating in 1993 before completing a specialty program to help treat infectious diseases.

Iwanoczko died at the age of 30 after a battle with Hodgkin’s disease. His friends and family continue to raise funds for the scholarship to continue his memory.