The fifth-year product of Donetsk, Ukraine led the conference in both kills (425) and kills per set (4.67) this season, as both totals were also tops in CIS and becomes the first women's volleyball player from TRU to win a conference major award since the program made the jump to Canada West in 2005-06.

Pakhomenko, who was a first team all-star this season for a second consecutive time, has led Thompson Rivers' Canada West women's volleyball ascension, particularly this season when TRU set a new Canada West program record for wins after going 12-12.

Along with Pakhomenko, Mount Royal's Carolina Alongi (rookie of the year), UBC Okanagan's Steve Manuel (coach of the year) and Alberta's Jessie Niles (student-athlete of the year) also took home conference awards.

All four award winners will now move on as the Canada West nominees for the CIS national awards, which will be handed out at the national championship at McMaster March 10-12.

Highly touted out of high school after earning the Myrna Empey Scholarship Award as the top high school volleyball player in Calgary, Carolina Alongi didn't disappoint during her Canada West rookie season.

The Calgary native posted 2.30 kills per set during her first Canada West season, good for 23rd overall in the ultra-competitive conference.

"Right from the beginning of the year Carolina has been a starter and has been one of the go to players on our team," MRU head coach Sandra Lamb explained. "She came in with a lot of poise and confidence about her game and that continued to grow throughout the year. It was a pleasure to a coach the Canada West rookie of the year."