Heslinga, Tolnai named Canada West Athletes of the Year

May 8, 2024 - Coming off dominant seasons that saw them lead their respective teams to national championships, Alberta men's volleyball standout Isaac Heslinga and UBC women's soccer star Katalin Tolnai have been crowned the 2023-24 Canada West Athletes of the Year.

Tolnai's incredible season cemented her legacy as one of the best to ever suit up for the storied Thunderbirds program, as she racked up numerous individual accolades while leading the T-Birds to the eighth national title in program history.

Meanwhile, Heslinga becomes the second straight Alberta men's volleyball player to be named Canada West's male athlete of the year, following in the footsteps of former teammate Jordan Canham. Heslinga powered the Golden Bears to the summit of U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball this past March, while also capturing every individual accolade on the way.

Tolnai and Heslinga will move forward as the Canada West nominees for the prestigious Lois and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athletes of the Year Awards, which honour the nation's top male and female student-athletes. U SPORTS will announce the winners on June 10 in Calgary. 

CW FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Katalin Tolnai

In a program replete with accolades both for team and individual success, Katalin Tolnai put a firm stamp this past season on her legacy as one of the best to ever play for the UBC Thunderbirds.

In a most memorable year, Tolnai tied her former teammate, Danielle Steer’s record of 22 points in a single season, having scored 14 goals with eight assists. Those 22 points were seven more than any other Canada West player in 2023.
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​Scoring a hat trick and adding four assists against Winnipeg, Tolnai set a new program record and tied the all-time Canada West mark with seven points in a single game. It was the first of three hat tricks the Toronto product would manage over the course of the year.

For her accolades, Tolnai was twice named Canada West and U SPORTS Women’s Soccer Player of the Week. She was named Canada West Player of the Year and became the first UBC Thunderbird to win the Chantal Navert Memorial Award as U SPORTS Player of the Year since Jasmin Dhanda in 2017.

The best players perform their best when the stakes are highest, and Tolnai did just that in November while leading the T-Birds to their record eighth national championship banner. She scored the game winning goal in UBC’s quarter-final victory over Ottawa and clinched the gold medal by scoring the only goal of the championship game in extra time.

Closing out her Thunderbirds career as a two-time national champion, Tolnai is a three-time Canada West All-Star in addition to cleaning up on the U SPORTS Stage in 2023 as not only Player of the Year, but a first team All-Canadian and the Championship Tournament MVP.

A graduate of UBC’s esteemed Sauder School of Business, Tolnai continued her education this past year while dedicating herself both on and off the pitch from a soccer perspective. Along with her teammates, Tolnai was heavily involved in UBC’s long-standing relationship with the Hope and Health program, providing opportunities for indigenous youth across B.C. to engage in the power of sport.

Tolnai was further honoured with UBC’s Marilyn Pomfret Award as Female Thunderbird Athlete of the Year.

CW MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Isaac Heslinga

For the second-straight season, the best male athlete in Canada West comes from the Alberta Golden Bears volleyball program.

Third-year outside hitter Isaac Heslinga powered the Golden Bears to the summit of U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball in 2023-24, while also capturing every individual accolade on the way.

The former Canadian Jr Team member and Canadian NextGen Captain led the Golden Bears to a record 15^th Canada West title, and record-tying 10^th U SPORTS Championship in Kingston — their second national title in three seasons.

Heslinga was named the 2023-24 Canada West Player of the Year, U SPORTS Player of the Year, and U SPORTS Championship MVP. Highlighting his remarkable season was his performance at the U SPORTS Championship, which saw Heslinga record an astonishing 80 kills over three matches, including a program-record 32 kills in the Bears quarter-final win over Laval.

The Orangeville, Ont. product finished fourth in Canada West with 373 kills and third with 446.5 points in conference play, adding 39 aces and 142 digs. His remarkable .380 attack percentage was tops in the conference and second in U SPORTS, as he led the Golden Bears to an 18-6 record and the No. 1 seed in Canada West.

His kill total is the third most ever for a Bear in a single season, while his 4.14 kills per set is the highest by an Alberta athlete since 2000. Only one Bear has ever recorded more than Heslinga's 446.5 points in a single season.

Heslinga is the 10^th Golden Bear or Panda to be named a Canada West Athlete of the Year and be nominated for the U SPORTS Lieutenant Governor Award. He is aiming to become the second Bears Volleyball student-athlete to win the award, and first since Joel Schmuland in 2009.

From the coach:

“Isaac has had a very impressive year which anyone can see through the stat lines. He's been our top point scorer and leading receiver, making him a very well-rounded player. Isaac is very detailed and extremely motivated, I'm very proud of him for the investment he has put into our team and his craft. I'm sure being recognized for the outcome of this investment is a real honour for Isaac, especially to follow in the footsteps of last year's Player of the Year and former teammate Jordan Canham. Isaac's capacity for growth is very impressive as is his volleyball IQ. His burgeoning leadership role on the court and in the locker room have made a huge impact on our success this year.” -University of Alberta Golden Bears Head Coach Brock Davidiuk

From the athletic director:

"It is my great pleasure to congratulate Isaac on all that he accomplished in a very special 2023-24 season. Isaac and his teammates provided Golden Bears volleyball fans with opportunities to cheer and share in the teams' successes all season long. Those of us that are fortunate to know just a bit more about Isaac are even more impressed by what he can do on the court because we know the person and student that he is off the court. Isaac brings an amazing combination of humility, work ethic, dedication and ability to the court and the classroom each and every day. He certainly deserves the place he has earned among the great Golden Bears volleyball student-athletes that we have been privileged to have represent the University of Alberta." -University of Alberta Interim Athletic Director Katie Spriggs