Portager wins team MVP award at U of M

PCI alumni Simone Crevier has been recognized as her team's biggest contributor. She played out her Sophomore season of volleyball for the University of Manitoba Bisons in 2021-22 and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Crevier says this came as a huge shock.

“I actually didn’t find out that I had won the award until they announced it at the awards banquet,” Crevier explains. “To be totally honest, I was expecting my best friend on the team, Keziah Hoeppner, to get it the whole time. So, when they announced my name, and put my roster picture up, I was definitely surprised. I was very thankful.”

Crevier says the team went through a plethora of ups and downs throughout the year but notes they had an extremely young team, with only first and second-year players on the roster.

The Bisons went 6-13 in '21-22 and fell short in their round-robin matchups in the postseason. Crevier says the experience from this year will definitely help them grow as a group for future seasons. 

The middle blocker says her jump from year one to year two was an interesting one.

“Going into my first season, I had low expectations for myself. I knew it was going to be hard to work your way up the pyramid. I knew I probably wouldn’t play a lot, and I was grateful for every time I was able to step out on the court because we had a lot of fourth and fifth-year players,” says Crevier. “Since then, I think I’ve developed a lot skill-wise and mentally. The COVID year was a big learning year because all we could do was practice. It was a lot of adversity we had to go through, but it has all been worth it in the end.”

Crevier believes it was more than just her contributions on the floor that made her the MVP.

“It’s important that you put your team first, and you show a good attitude. You have to try as hard as you can to push your teammates to be the best they can be,” Crevier continues. “Coming to practice every day, whether I was going to be starting the next game or not, and giving my all, is what I think got me this award. Not just my playing and stats on the court, but also my mindset and how I carry myself.”

The Portager says her time at PCI set her up extremely well for this experience at the University of Manitoba.

“When I was in Grade 11 I was one of the only Grade 11s on the team. It was really hard to get a starting spot on that team, even though it was just in high school,” Crevier explains. “ I remember my coach telling me to ‘keep pushing and keep grinding, you’re doing what you need to do.’ Honestly, there were some moments where I felt like I was never going to get on the court, and it got frustrating, but by the end of the season, I got that starting spot. I got to play in the Provincial Final, and I think that’s one of the reasons I’m here today. It taught me resilience and showed me that hard work does pay off.”

Crevier adds in her Grade 12 season it was the opposite as she was basically the only Grade 12 on a younger team. She says this taught her some different things in the lane of leadership and mentoring. The local notes these two seasons being so different from each other was exactly what she needed.

The middle blocker is really looking forward to the years to come with this Bisons' group.

“I think what sets us apart from other teams is that there isn’t much of a hierarchy going on because we’re all young. We see each other as equals, and we respect each other so much,” says Crevier. “I think this is just the beginning of our journey, and I seriously believe there could be a championship title for us in the coming years. I think we have that type of talent on this team, and I can’t wait to keep practicing and playing with these girls.”