Last Sunday, Ste. Agathe’s Logan Barnabe was awarded the 15U Volleyball Player of the Year by Volleyball Manitoba. He was also named the tournament MVP at the recent 15U Provincial Volleyball Championships, held in Niverville last month.
Barnabe, a Grade Nine student at École Régional Gabrielle-Roy in Île-des-Chênes, plays his club volleyball for 204, one of the top young teams in the country. The team finished fifth overall in Canada at the 15U Volleyball Nationals in Edmonton at the end of May.
“Our 204 season was a great success, winning the provincial 15U volleyball championship,” says Barnabe. “It was especially meaningful for me and a few other of my teammates—Colin Vermette, Marek Goller, Tristan Cousineau—being from the Ste.Agathe/Niverville area. The vibe at the Niverville CRRC was electric with all the parents and fans cheering us on in the gold medal game.”
After the provincial championship, Barnabe’s 204 team was ranked number one in Manitoba when they went to Nationals. Being in the top tier, his team competed against the best in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec.
“We battled hard and lost a devastating match 15–13 in the third set to one of the best teams in Canada and ended up placing fifth overall,” Barnabe says. “There were 80 different 15U teams competing at the Nationals tournament, so I was very proud of our team and all that we had accomplished together.”
Barnabe was humbled and honoured to be named the 2023 Volleyball Manitoba 15U Male Player of the Year.
“There are so many incredible athletes that I play with and against who were just as deserving,” he says. “It obviously means a lot to be recognized for the hard work I put in to improve my game this year. But more important were my teammates, who pushed me to be better in practice and games. Also, my amazing coaches who trusted me with the captaincy of the team and worked so hard to help me improve my skills as a volleyball player.”
Up next for Barnabe is next month’s North American Indigenous Games, which will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He will be playing for Team Manitoba.
“As a Metis athlete, I am super excited to represent Manitoba in Halifax and spend time with my teammates. We’ve had a few training sessions, and I believe we have a very talented group. I’m very excited to meet our competitors from across North America at these games. I’ve never been to the east coast before, so it’ll be good to explore a bit and make good memories in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and hopefully bring home a gold medal.”
Barnabe is looking forward to continuing his high school volleyball seasons at École Régional Gabrielle-Roy and continue with club volleyball up to the 18U age level.
“I’m hoping to play at the university level one day, and I will continue to work as hard as I can to achieve these goals. But only time will tell.”
