On Tuesday evening, 13 May 2025 we hosted the Riga end of season Celebration Awards, Volleyball play and AGM! This is the second season since we’ve introdced awards beyon the long-standing President’s Award, and as a Committee we were very happy to see our members getting involved and attending the event as well as submitting nominations.
We are thrilled to announce and celebrate the recipients of our Players’ Player Award, Coach’s Player Award, President’s Award and a very Special Nomination as part of this year’s celebrations! Your hard work, dedication, and outstanding contributions to your team and the Club this season have been truly remarkable.
Coach’s Player of the Year 2025
An award for a player in each team, who demonstrates the most growth, sportsmanship, leadership, or has positively contributed to building team spirit throughout the season, on and off-court.
| Team | Winner | Coach’s words |
|---|---|---|
| Women 1 | Alex Smith | My coach’s award goes to Alex. For her positivity, for her energy, for her unbounded enthusiasm. For her willingness to play anywhere to help the team. For being the team leader when things got tough, and inspiring everyone to stick together and still have fun! |
| Women 2 | Iulia Protesaru | For being dedicated throughout the season while being injured, showing leadership during games keeping the team morale and her own up during a difficult season. And on top of that showing an unwavering motivation to improve herself. And finally being part of a core group who attended every single match in the season. |
| Men 1 | Jacob Lingwood | Jacob Lingwood – he is very hardworking, positive, and has always been a positive presence in training and games. |
| Men 2 | Chris Jones | For the constant dedication to this team’s performance, morale and team management. Chris always gives his 100% on court and encourages his teammates along the way to always improve, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, which makes everyone feel welcomed and as true parts of a united team. After many years in the team manager role, and an outstanding job every season, Chris’ contribution in this role will be missed, but he will continue to be a positive force on court. |
| Beginner Juniors | Connie Wootton | We’re nominating Connie because of her immense growth in confidence and skill over this past year. Anyone who sees Connie play will be able to tell just how much she loves the sport and how much she has come to enjoy herself doing it — she is a joy to coach and a bright, sweet presence in our trainings. She is improving incredibly quickly, to the point where she has now begun helping others around her. We foresee a bright future in Volleyball for her and can’t wait to support her throughout her journey! |
| Intermediate Juniors | Isabelle Leeman | Izzy has been with us for over 2 years now. She has always been a cheerful, dedicated and passionate player but over the last few months she has really shined as a mentor to those around her. She’s always ready to help others, providing gentle and friendly feedback, always with a smile on her face. Izzy has never stopped pushing herself to be the very best player she can be — and this is evident as we reflect back on how much she has grown in the past 2 years. She’s a dependable, solid player and person, and we’d like to wish her all the best in her Volleyball journey after she graduates from our class this summer. |
| U18 Boys | Cohen Walsh | For the support to the squad and dedication on self improvement, seeking feedback and opportunities to play and work on his skills |
| U18 Girls | Luci McGregor | For being a positive force in the team, seeking feedback and supporting her fellow players, fostering a positive culture where the team grows together |
Players’ Player of the Year 2025
An award for those who’ve gone above and beyond to improve the time their team has together, in terms of morale, performance and how they work together and have inspired fellow players in the process.
| Team | Winner |
|---|---|
| Women 1 | Miriam Chow |
| Women 2 | Lucía Vázquez Vaquero |
| Men 1 | Jacob Lingwood |
| Men 2 | Albert Paul |
| U18 Boys | Ryan Crowley |
| U18 Girls | Bex Kiley |
Unfortunately for Beginner and Intermediate Juniors we had an insufficient number of nominations for the Players’ Player Award.
Full nominations list for the Players’ Player Award 2025:
- Andreas Manthopoulos
- Jacob Lingwood
- Malvern Chirima
- Albert Paul
- Daniel Tipper
- Yonah Look
- Ryan Crowley
- Cohen Walsh
- Aspen Clay
- Bex Kiley
- Luci Macgregor
- Lucia Vazquez Vaquero
- Elam Sze
- Jules Protesaru
🏆 President’s Award: Clare Francis
Clare is the backbone of the club—an incredible volunteer who juggles coaching, admin, team management, and more, all while working full-time. Her dedication, energy, and behind-the-scenes work keep everything running. Tireless, committed, and deeply appreciated, Clare truly is the heart of the club. Thank you, Clare!
Special Mention: Lucía Vázquez Vaquero
Lucía is a dedicated, positive, and supportive teammate who uplifts everyone with her smile and energy. She’s always encouraging, a joy to play with, and deeply committed—on and off the court. Her authenticity, kindness, and dedication to coaching juniors make her truly inspiring and invaluable to the team and the Club.
Full nominations list for President’s Award 2025:
- Clare Francis
- Brendan Fawcett
- Isabella Leeman
- Tom Young
- Masoud Sobhani
- Sol Victor
- Chris Jones
- Krishna Alluri
- Sarita Yeung
- Bex Kiley
- Aspen Clay
- Mim Anderson
- Alex Smith
- Jules Protesaru
- Lucia Vazquez Vaquero
Congratulations once again on your well-deserved achievements. We are incredibly proud and grateful to have you as members of the Coventry & Warwick Riga Volleyball Club. We wish you a fantastic summer and a successful new season!