Hale-Miller Named U SPORTS Coach Of The Year
(LANGLEY, BC) UNB’s Lauren Hale-Miller has been named U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Coach of the Year.
Hale-Miller was recognized Wednesday night, at the U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Awards, part of the national championship tournament weekend at Trinity Western University, in Langley, British Columbia.
“This award is incredibly meaningful,” said Hale-Miller. “To me it really represents the people around our program. Coaching is not an individual effort. It’s the student-athletes who commit to the work every day and the staff who invest time and energy into building something together.”
In just her second season as head coach of the REDS Hale-Miller guided the team to an unprecedented 20-0 Atlantic University Sport regular season and a trip to the conference final.
“Our student-athletes trusted the process, pushed each other to get better, and stayed connected through the highs and challenges of the season,” said Hale-Miller. “What we accomplished wasn’t just about results, it was about building a team environment where people could thrive, compete, and enjoy the journey together.
The AUS Coach of the Year, Hale-Miller was a nominee for the national award along with Chad Grimm (Thompson Rivers), Natasha Spaling (Guelph), and Olivier Faucher (Laval).
“This award is a reflection of the hard work Lauren has put in, but also the hard work of our assistant coaches and my teammates,” said veteran REDS’ hitter Lydia Green. “I remember being part of the hiring committee for her position two years ago and I’m so thankful that we picked Lauren to lead this program. The team needed a strong and reliable presence and that’s exactly who Lauren is for us.”
At the same ceremony, Green and teammate Talia Nixon were recognized as 2nd Team All-Canadians.
Hale-Miller is the first UNB coach to be named national women’s volleyball coach of the year and only the fourth from the AUS.
“There are so many great coaches across U SPORTS, so it’s truly an honour just to be considered among them,” said Hale-Miller. “If anything set our program apart this year, it was the culture we created.”
“Being a student-athlete is extremely challenging and sometimes it’s hard to remember why you do it, but when you have a coach like Lauren it’s hard not to remember,” said Green. “I’m honoured and grateful to have played for her and although I only had two seasons with Lauren as a coach, she brought back my love for this sport after some difficult years of my life. In my opinion she deserves all the recognition in the world.”
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS
FILE PHOTO: Fran Harris/for UNB REDS