Longtime Queen's Men's Volleyball Head Coach Brenda Willis received the U SPORTS Coaching Award at the U SPORTS Awards Gala on Monday.

Willis coached Queen's Men's Volleyball for 31 years (1987-2018), and led the Gaels to six OUA Championship titles.

The longest serving volleyball coach in Queen's history, Willis also has the most wins by a volleyball coach in Queen's history, recording 325 regular season wins during her time with the program. Willis is also a six-time OUA Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year winner (1989-90, 1991-92, 1998-99, 2001-02, 2006-07, 2017-18) and was named the OUA Female Coach of the Year in 2009-10.

"Congratulation to Brenda on receiving the Jean-Marie De Koninck Coaching Excellence Award," said Queen's Men's Volleyball Head Coach Gabe deGroot. "Brenda was and is truly a trailblazer in U SPORTS Men's Volleyball and continues to be a role model for myself and so many other coaches. Brenda left an ever-lasting mark on the Queen's program, and she is undeniably a well-deserving recipient of this accolade." deGroot coached under Willis at Queen's prior to taking the Head Coach position after Willis' retirement.

In 2007, Willis was given the Rolf Lund Jule Nisse Award by the Sport Alliance of Ontario as the volunteer who has made a "playground to podium" commitment to sport.

And in 2014, Willis was inducted into the Kingston Sports Hall of Fame.