In a weekly series in February in honour of Black History Month, Taylor Allen highlights the stories and incredible accomplishments of Black athletes and coaches in Manitoba.
How many players can say they’ve won multiple national titles with two different universities in their hometown?
Around these parts, the answer is probably only one, and that would be former volleyball standout Paulette Jerrard-Gillert.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Paulette Jerrard-Gillert played volleyball for Team Canada and won national championships at the University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba.
The ultimate winner during her five-year run at the CIAU (now called U Sports) level, Jerrard-Gillert was a part of four Canadian championship-winning teams.
After leading Kildonan East Collegiate to a provincial crown, the 5-7 outside hitter got her start at the University of Winnipeg where she helped the Wesmen dynasty win its fifth consecutive national title in 1987 and then won again the following year.
Jerrard-Gillert spent 1990 with the Canadian senior national team before heading across the city to University of Manitoba in 1991 to close out her career with another pair of national banners.
“Two different schools, two different experiences, and having the same end result winning those championships never got old. Whether it’s one time, or four times, they were indescribable then and they’re still indescribable feelings,” Jerrard-Gillert, now 55, said in a recent chat.
Oddly enough, an argument could me made the most impressive chapter in her story was written during the lone season — 1988-89 — when she did not bring home gold.
The reigning, six-time defending national champion Wesmen had massive shoes to fill as star setter Brenda Boroski — a two-time CIAU player of the year — had graduated. Boroski’s supposed heir apparent didn’t stick with the team, leaving head coach Mike Burchuk scrambling for a replacement.
He didn’t feel comfortable trusting the offence with a fresh face out of high school, but he did feel comfortable with Jerrard-Gillert taking over even though she had zero experience playing setter and was the team’s starting left-side hitter at the time.
While Winnipeg ended up losing the bronze-medal match at nationals that year, Jerrard-Gillert was named a second-team all-Canadian.
“It was a bit of a gamble, but when we started doing workouts in the late spring, early summer of ‘88, you could pretty much right off the hop tell that she had the chance to do this and that she had a knack for it,” Burchuk recalled.
“We did countless training sessions, and I could tell by mid-summer that we had our starting setter for the upcoming year because of the unusual progress that she made in a short period of time. What would take most players years to learn, Paulette was picking up and learning in a few months.”
The average athlete might not sign off on such a drastic change, but Jerrard-Gillert was willing to give it a shot. The transition was so seamless that when she got the call from Team Canada, who were coached by Burchuk at the time, it was to play setter.
While wearing the Maple Leaf, she got to suit up at events in Europe, Japan and Cuba.
“A hurdle, a challenge, or something that might not be what we want, sometimes they turn out to be a golden opportunity or a blessing in disguise,” said Jerrard-Gillert. “It ended up giving me the opportunity to play on the national team because I just didn’t have the size to be an outside hitter (at that level).”
Determined to finish her education degree, Jerrard-Gillert returned to her studies full time and took her talents from the campus on Portage Avenue to the university on Pembina Highway.
“That was a really tough decision because I was a Wesmen, but the decision was made for school. When I kind of looked at all things, I chose U of M. It wasn’t popular, but it was a decision for me,” she said.
It was certainly popular with Bisons head coach Ken Bentley.
The two weren’t strangers, as Bentley had coached her at the 1987 Canada Games when Manitoba won gold. The Herd, coming off of a national championship season, were already set at setter with a future two-time CIAU player of the year award winner in Michelle Sawatzky, so, Jerrard-Gillert returned to hitting.
Her contributions helped build another dynasty as Jerrard-Gillert played an integral role in Manitoba repeating in 1991, and again in 1992 when the program capped off the three-peat by beating Winnipeg 3-1 in the final in North York, Ont.
“I was really thankful she came because I don’t think we win the next two years without her. It would’ve been really difficult. She went out on top, and it was amazing,” said Bentley, who still coaches the U of M women’s program.
“Whenever the ball went in her direction, I never worried about it. It was like, ‘OK, we’re good’ because she always made the right play and was always so rock solid in every way. I got spoiled because she did it on the daily.”
Bentley added: “Still to this day, she’s one of my all-time favourite people that I’ve coached.”
Jerrard-Gillert wasn’t the only star athlete in her family as her brother, the late Paul Jerrard, was selected in the ninth round of the 1983 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers and went on to a 10-year professional career, mostly in the minors.
He made a bigger name for himself behind the bench, and was incredibly well-respected, as he had stints as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames.
Paul lost his battle with cancer last year at the age of 57.
“He was able to stay humble and I think he never ever forgot his roots,” said Jerrard-Gillert.
“There’s the hockey accomplishments, but how he could take off his hockey coach hat and be dad, a brother to us, a husband to his wife, and this lasting brother-sister relationship that we had is what I’m super proud of.”
Jerrard-Gillert and her husband, Dean, have two children, daughter Justine — a former NCAA level rower at Old Dominion — and son Chad.
Jerrard-Gillert has done some volleyball coaching over the years and now works as a vice-principal at École Sun Valley School.
“I enjoy it immensely,” she said, of her career path. “It gives me great joy, and it’s a privilege to work with these kids and try to support them on their journeys.”
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Taylor Allen
Reporter
Eighteen years old and still in high school, Taylor got his start with the Free Press on June 1, 2011. Well, sort of…
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