Roller coaster ride lands Bennett at Mohawk
Signing day was an up moment for Hannah Bennett.
In front of family and friends Thursday, the Grade 12 student at Eden committed to play volleyball with the Mohawk Mountaineers.
“It feels great. I have had a lot of ups and downs in my career and have gone through a lot so it feels good that all of my hard work has finally paid off,” the 18-year-old St. Catharines resident.
One of the biggest downs came when she was younger and struggled with her self confidence.
“I thought I was a bad player and that was kind of reflective of how I played. These last two or three seasons I have gained a lot of confidence which is reflected in my play.”
This past season, she was given the coach’s award from her Smash Raiders travel team in Hamilton.
“That was a huge accomplishment and we ended up top 20 in the province.”
Bennett’s confidence was unlocked with the help of her coaches.
“I had one sit me down and tell me that I was good and that I could playing better than I was playing. They told me I could be a great player and play to the best of my abilities,” the 5-foot-10 middle said.
Her Smash coach Jason Pundyk was one of her biggest boosters.
“He gave me a lot of confidence and great feedback and he just pushed me to be a great player.”
That support has helped her game evolve this season.
“I think I have become a lot smarter and a better player. I have always been goofy footed and had the wrong footwork but Jason helped me all season to fix that. That is a thing no other coach has been able to do and that has made me a stronger attacker.”
She feels Mohawk is the perfect spot to begin her post secondary career.
“I had trained and talked with a few other schools and the community and environment of Mohawk really drew me in.”
Bennett can’t wait to get started at Mohawk, where she plans to study nursing.
“I really excited to be joining the team I am just because they are coming off a really great season. They ended up with a provincial bronze medal so I cant wait to join the program and the intensity that comes with it,” she said. “Also the community of the team has been amazing. All the girls are so nice and they have really welcomed me.”
She also loves the coaching staff.
“Coach Kelsey (Kovar) was super kind and super sweet and right from the very first practice gave me great advice, great feedback and showed great interest in me.”
The goals for her first season of college volleyball are to get comfortable playing a new position at Mohawk, right side; get as much playing time as possible; and, most importantly, help Mohawk win another provincial medal.
“That would be great. I know our goal is to beat Humber, which hasn’t lost in a long time.”
She plans to do a lot of off-season training to make those goals a reality.
“We have a lot of lifts and then we are practising once a week. At the beginning, practising with Mohawk was an adjustment because it was a much faster pace and a lot more intense than what I am used to but I have gotten pretty used to it now and the girls have been really helpful.”
She has been playing travel volleyball since Grade 7. She suited up for the Niagara Rapids and Grimsby Vipers before landing with the Smash Raiders in Hamilton
Edden coach Bill Markham describes Bennett as one-in-a-million and someone who is full of joy and a little bit of mischief. On the court, she became a solid player for the Flyers.
“You were a great cheerleader from the bench but when you got that opportunity you made the most of it. You learned how to fit into a system, be a teammate and bring success, and we depended on you,” Markham said. “You were a key part of the success of the Eden volleyball team this year.”
