Kathy Noseworthy (Athlete 2002)
Kathy Noseworthy first came to the attention of volleyball coaches as a grade eight student when she attended a tryout camp for the 1975 Canada Games. By the time she reached high school everybody was beginning to notice her.
As a grade ten student in 1976 Kathy played on three provincial championship teams: In March the Onca seniors won the senior provincial title, in April the Onca Blues took the junior title, and in May the Onca Juveniles won the juvenile championship. On the senior and junior teams all the players except Kathy were university students. In addition to this her high school team, Prince of Wales Collegiate, won the St. John’s high school championship. All in all, it was a very good beginning.
In 1977 Kathy played with the Molson 79ers, a team comprised mostly of Canada Games hopefuls. She was invited to try out for the National junior team at a training camp in Vancouver but was unsuccessful. The Newfoundland Volleyball Association nominated her for the provincial athlete of the year.
Again in 1978 Kathy played with the Molson 79ers. It proved to be a very successful year both for the team and Kathy. The team won the provincial senior and junior championships. They represented the province at the Atlantic senior championships in Charlottetown and Kathy was selected a tournament all-star. They finished second at the National Elite open tournament in Montreal and participated in the National Juvenile tournament in Fredericton.
Kathy was invited again to a National junior camp, this year in Calgary, and she was selected to the team as the starting setter and outside hitter. The team remained in Calgary during the summer training for the Pacific Rim tournament in August in Hawaii where Canada played teams from China, Australia, Korea, Japan, and the United States. In December Kathy travelled with the team to Mexico for the NORCECA junior championships. Canada won the silver medal and Kathy was the starting setter.
Kathy was a finalist for both the St. John’s Athlete of the year and the Provincial Athlete of the year.
In 1979 Kathy was a second year student at Memorial University and played with Molson 79ers which was also the Memorial University team. The team was St. John’s Molson Cup champions as well as provincial senior champions. The university team was ranked 10th in Canada by the CVA , the first time a team from Newfoundland had reached a National ranking. Memorial University won the Atlantic Universities volleyball championship for the first time. The team was not entered in the league but was allowed to challenge the fourth place team for a play-off spot. MUN defeated Dalhousie 3-1 in the final match and went on to represent the Atlantic region at the CIAU championships at McMaster University. The University team also represented the province at the CVA senior championships in Toronto, finishing in 7th place. MUN attended the National junior championships in Edmonton, finishing in fourth place. In November MUN won the Dalhousie-Acadia invitational tournament and in December the U. de Moncton invitational. Kathy was selected to the all-star team.
Kathy was selected again to the National junior team as the starting setter. The team participated in the Pacific Rim tournament in Hawaii, finishing fourth. In 1979 Kathy became a “carded” athlete, only the second Newfoundlander to have this designation. However, because of this ranking Kathy was ineligible to play for her province at the 1979 Canada Games, a bitter disappointment to both the team and Kathy.
Because of her great successes on the volleyball court Kathy was selected the St. John’s Athlete of the Year and the Provincial Athlete of the Year. As well she was awarded the Richard Perry Memorial Trophy as Memorial University’s top athlete, the first female winner since the trophy’s inception in 1966.
Kathy continued play with Memorial in 1980. The team won the senior provincial championship, and was second in the Atlantic Universities championship where Kathy was selected a conference all-star. MUN won the Atlantic Provinces senior championship and Kathy was selected to the all-star team. As well, MUN placed 6th at the CVA senior national championships in Halifax. A highlight of the year for the team was its silver medal performance at the national junior championships in Winnipeg, losing to Scarborough Titans 16-14 in the fifth game of the final match. The Memorial University team was selected the Provincial Team of the Year.
Kathy was named to Canada’s National senior in May 1980 and travelled to Europe in June and July for matches against club and National teams from Holland, West Germany, Belgium, and the United States.
The Newfoundland Volleyball Association named her the winner of the Reg Soper Memorial Award for her contribution to volleyball
In 1981 Kathy continued to play with MUN and won the Atlantic Universities championship for the second time. At the CIAU tournament MUN placed fifth. The team also repeated as Atlantic senior champions and represented the region at the CVA tournament in Montreal.
Kathy trained with the National team early in the year for matches against the Cuban National team but retired from the team citing her education as being more important.
In 1982, Kathy’s final undergraduate year at MUN, the team was second in the Atlantic Universities championship and Kathy was a conference all-star.
To conclude her stellar athletic career the university named her to the Athletic Honour Society, the highest award MUN grants it’s student-athletes.
Since graduation Kathy has earned a Master’s degree and teaches physical education at Booth Memorial High School in St. John’s. She coached the 1985 Canada Games men’s team and the MUN women’s team from 1985-1990
