VICTORIA - Tony Clarke of the Durham Lords has been named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year.

He received the award this evening at the 2017 CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship banquet, hosted by Camosun College in Victoria.

Clarke guided the Lords to a perfect 18-0 season and first-place finish in the OCAA East Division. This season, Durham was victorious at the 2016 Sheridan Invitational and 2017 Adidas Cup.

"Tony is a very successful coach who has led the Lords to be a top team in the OCAA," said Fred Batley, CCAA Women's Volleyball Convenor. "He would be the first to say that it all starts with the athletes."

Durham's success this season can certainly be attributed to the team's dedication to getting better each time they're on the court. Clarke has put an emphasis on off-court training through weekly sessions at Elite Training Systems and encouraging his student-athletes to make nutrition a priority.

Clarke focuses on building well-rounded athletes during their time at Durham, by concentrating on academics as well as their development off the court. He spends a great deal of time mentoring his athletes academically and more than half of this year's team will receive OCAA Academic Honours and CCAA Academic Honours.

"He believes in building strong student-athletes who focus on academics, team work and dedication," said Batley.

Community involvement has also been a priority for Clarke at Durham. The team has taken part in several community/charity initiatives, including the CCAA's Make Some Noise for Mental Health campaign.

Clarke also runs and coordinates a major high school tournament in Southern Ontario.

CCAA Coach of the Year winners receive a customized ring provided by Jostens Canada, the Official Ring Supplier of the CCAA Championship Awards Banquet.

For a full list of this year's award recipients, visit the official site of the 2017 CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship.

Source: CCAA Communications