By Canadian Press

Laval’s Betts, UBC’s Van Ryk win Canadian university sport awards

May 2, 2019 | 1:26 PM

CALGARY — Laval football player Mathieu Betts and University of British Columbia volleyball player Kierra Van Ryk have been named Canadian university sport athletes of the year.

Betts, a defensive end for the Rouge et Or, and Van Ryk, who led the Thunderbirds to a national championship, were the recipients of the Lieutenant Governor Athletics Awards on Thursday in Calgary.

In her second season, Van Ryk had 24 kills, three aces and 13 digs in the national championship final for the Thunderbirds, who beat Ryerson for the title. Van Ryk was named tournament MVP.

Betts was named Canada’s most outstanding lineman a third straight year and became the first to earn the J.P. Metras Trophy three consecutive seasons.

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The defensive end recorded nine sacks and 14 tackles for a loss for Laval.

Canadian university sport honours have been presented since 1993 first as the Howard Mackie Awards and then the BLG Awards named for the law firm Borden Ladner Gervais.

The brand was relaunched this year by Alberta’s lieutenant-governor Lois Mitchell and husband Doug Mitchell, a BLG co-chair and former CFL player and commissioner who founded the awards.

The Canadian Press