Fourth-year University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's volleyball standout Alina Dormann has been honoured as one of U SPORTS Top 8 Academic All-Canadians for the 2017-18 season.
The elite group will be honoured on January 29 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada.
The Governor General's Academic All-Canadian Commendation was founded by the Right Honourable David Johnston, former Governor General of Canada, who first honoured Canada's Top 8 student-athletes in 2013.
U SPORTS student-athletes achieve academic all-Canadian status having maintained an average of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while competing for one - or more - of their university's varsity teams.
Among these outstanding individuals, one female and one male student-athlete from each of the four U SPORTS conferences are selected annually to make up the Top 8. Dormann becomes the 10th Varsity Blue, and seventh in the past nine years, to earn the recognition since its inception in 1993-94.
All-Time Top 8 Academic All-Canadians
Alina Dormann entered the 2017-18 intercollegiate season in fine form, having spent the summer of 2017 with the Canadian senior women's national team. Dormann represented Canada at the 2017 FISU Summer Universiade in Taipei and went on to have another dominant season for the Blues on the court.
The Ottawa native led the OUA with 3.66 kills per set - good for seventh in the nation - and ranked second in the province and fourth nationally with 4.6 points per set through 18 matches in 2017-18. She also topped Toronto in total attacks (617) and serving aces (32), while ranking second in digs per set (2.49) and third in blocks per set (0.55). Dormann was named the OUA East player of the year for the third consecutive season, while also earning her third career U SPORTS all-Canadian nod. She led Toronto to a 15-4 regular season record and notched a season-high 27.5 points as Toronto topped the Guelph Gryphons, 3-2, to advance to their seventh straight OUA Final Four.
What's more impressive is that she achieved all of this while pursuing a double major in biology and health & disease at the University of Toronto. The three-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian is a highly decorated student of U of T's Victoria College, having won three of their major academic awards: the Regents Performance Award, given to a student who has excelled academically and who has distinguished themselves through their achievements in the creative or performing arts or athletics; the Helen Mae Woodliffe Scholarship, given to students with outstanding overall A standing; and the John David Steward Scholarship, given to students achieving excellence in the course of their studies.
In addition to her excellence on the court and in the classroom, Dormann makes time to give back to the volleyball community. She volunteered as an assistant coach with the Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) for the 2018 Ontario Summer Games and served an assistant coach with Volleyball Position Camp (VPC). Dormann also coaches recreational house league, competitive beach and skills clinics within the Leaside Volleyball Club in Toronto.
"Alina embodies excellence both on and off the court," said Kristine Drakich, who is in her 30th season as Varsity Blues head coach in 2018-19. "She is an amazing student and athlete. Not only has she been an outstanding player, including representing Canada at the FISU Games in 2017 and being named an All-Canadian, but she has also maintained one of the highest grade point averages in the history of our program."
Varsity Blues U SPORTS Academic Top 8 Nominees
2017-18 – Alina Dormann, Volleyball
2016-17 – Osvald Nitski, Swimming
2014-15 - Sasha Gollish, Track & Field
2012-13 - Alicia Brown, Track & Field
2011-12 - Darragh McGee , Soccer
2010-11 - Shujon Mazumder, Wrestling
2009-10 - Megan Brown, Cross Country/Track & Field
2004-05 - Ian MacLeod, Swimming
1997-98 - Rebecca Chambers, Track & Field
1996-97 - Russell Jones, Swimming