Former pro takes over V-ball program

Steve Delaney, a former professional volleyball player who led a club team to one Canadian and two Ontario championships, is taking over the Brock University women’s program.

“His background as a highlevel athlete and history and successes in coaching young women at the provincial and national level make him a great coach,” said Neil Lumsden, the university’s athletic director.

Last season the Badgers were tied for last in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Division with a 6-13 record and went 5-14 and 2-17 in the two years before that. They last finished above .500 in 2011-12 when they went 10-8.

“I’ve done a three-year plan for Brock, and the goal for me and for the team is to make the playoffs this year,” Delaney said. “I don’t know hard it’s going to be, because I haven’t been in the gym with the athletes but we’re going to work hard regardless.”

He went on to compete on Canada’s national beach volleyball team and played indoor volleyball professionally in France after playing in the varsity team at the University of Winnipeg.

Delaney competed at a high level in the U.S. and also played semi-pro with a club in Toronto going on to win two national championships.

As a head coach, he guided the Halton Hurricanes under-18 team to a Canadian championship in 2016 and back-to-back Ontario titles in 2017-18.

All 11 players from the 2017 team went on to play university volleyball either in the U.S. or Canada.

Delaney is looking forward to doing more than just coaching high-level athletes in his new job.

“I have to thank the Hurricanes because when I started coaching with them and got to work with some elite athletes, I really developed a passion,” Delaney, a Burlington native, said. “I didn’t want to just coach athletes, I wanted to develop a program.”

Lumsden believes the Badgers women’s volleyball program can

be successful.

“Steve has done some homework regarding our team and he believes we’re at a point where we can have success with the young women on the team as it is and some of the new recruits coming in,” he said.

Delaney, who operates runs Pinnacle Wellness, a corporate wellness and consulting firm, can’t wait to get started.

“I didn’t recruit any of these athletes, but what I know is they have a ton of talent.”