‘Renaissance man’ ruthless on court

Ryan Sclater is known at Trinity Western University every bit as much for his love of English literature as for his prowess on the volleyball court.

While many student athletes are consumed by their sport, Sclater is the poster child for living a balanced life. The 23-yearold from Port Coquitlam, B.C. is a devout Christian, loving husband, dedicated scholar and fantastic volleyball player — in that order.

The Canada West male athlete of the year is one of four male finalists— for the 2016-17 BLG Award.

The winners of the male and female BLG Awards, honouring the top athletes in U Sports, will be announced May 1 at a ceremony in Calgary.

“For me, it’s always been a normal thing to be fully involved in both athletics and academics,” Sclater said Thursday. “That was always just something I assumed was normal, which I later found it wasn’t. I’ve learned a lot about having to pick to the things that are absolutely the most important and to commit to those things.”

When Sclater commits, he is all in. On the volleyball court, the six-foot-seven outside hitter led Trinity Western — based in Langley, B.C. — to a second consecutive national title. He finished fifth in the country in both kills (4.29) and points (5.0) per set, establishing single-season and career school records in both statistical categories.