Photo: Contributed Mike Hawkins (left) and Kevin Tillie (right). More than a decade after competing together as teammates, two former TRU WolfPack volleyball players found themselves on opposing ends of the court at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Mike Hawkins played for the ‘Pack from 2010 until 2012 before he made the switch to coaching, starting in an assistant coaching position with TRU and making several stops in Lethbridge and UBC Okanagan before landing with the UBC Thunderbirds.
He said he was offered a gig as an assistant coach for Team Canada in early 2023. WolfPack alumni Kevin Tillie played from 2009 until 2011, sharing a season with Hawkins. Tillie moved to Kamloops from France to pursue volleyball, which eventually took him to Italy before he joined up with France’s national team prior the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Two Olympics later and the pair found their squads squaring off during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Squadmates turned opponents Speaking with Castanet, both Hawkins and Tillie said running into each other on and off the court was a common occurrence during the summer tournament circuit. “I saw him all day, every day, all summer,” Hawkins said.
Tillie said the two bump into each frequently on the road, where they’ll exchange words and catch up. “It happens all the time, every weekend we play against someone that we know,” Tillie said. “When it's the Olympics, there's this particular feeling that you really don't want to lose against them.
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