NAME: Tammy Mahon (Class of 2020-21)
UNIVERSITY: Manitoba
CATEGORY: Student-athlete
SPORT: Women's volleyball
YEARS ACTIVE: 1998-2003
HIGHLIGHTS:
Two-time national champion (2001 and 2002)
2002 CIS National Championship MVP
10 years on the Canadian national team
MHSAA top female athlete of the last 50 years (1962-2012)
BIO:
From humble beginnings near Holland, Manitoba to the international stage, former Manitoba Bison Tammy Mahon is one of the best to come out of the keystone province.
A standout basketball and volleyball athlete in high school, Mahon chose the Bisons and volleyball as her focus when she made the jump to university in 1998. That proved to be a very good decision for Mahon, who was named the top female athlete of the last 50 years by the Manitoba High School Athletic Association in 2012.
As a Bison, Mahon played a starring role in the Bisons’ four national medals between during her university career, winning bronze in 1998-99, silver in 1999-00, before topping the nation in 2000-01 and 2001-02. At the 2002 CIS National Championship, Mahon led the Bisons as the tournament's MVP.
In her final season, Mahon was named the Bisons' Female Athlete of the Year.
After her university career, Mahon went onto a decade of professional volleyball across Europe, with stops in Sweden (2003-04), the Netherlands (2004-2007), Romania (2007-2009), Azerbaijan (2009-2010), Greece (2010-2011) and finally in Germany (2011-12)
On the international stage, Mahon competed for Canada for a decade between 2002 and 2012, spending five years as team captain.
"Tammy Mahon is the most selfless player I have ever played with, it was a privilege to step on the court with her and she brought the same intensity every day and demanded the same from us, it was truly inspiring and made me a better player," explained former teammate Julie Young.
"She took on duties past what a captain should and did not complain, her dedication and love for the sport is what made me come to practice everyday."
Mahon finished her national team career in 2012 with 173 appearances for the red and white, including appearances at the 2010 World Championships and 2012 Olympic Qualifiers.
"Being a small town girl with big dreams, I was always thankful for the opportunity to be a part of something as special as Team Canada. As the years went on I fell more in love with my sport, my country, and what we were doing as a team to achieve our dreams together," said Mahon following her retirement.
"Representing Canada at the international volleyball level will forever be one of the greatest and most enriching experiences of my life and I thank everyone who was a part of my journey."
Written by Evan Daum.