Hall of Fame
Ed Drakich was a volleyball pioneer at the University of Toronto and was a leader in Varsity Blues volleyball ‘firsts’, capping off his illustrious career on the beach at the 1996 Olympic Games.
A native of Toronto, Ontario and a graduate of Malvern Collegiate, Ed arrived on campus in 1981 and in just his second year was a member of the 1982-83 OUAA championship team, the first Ontario title for U of T men’s volleyball.
The Varsity Blues were also OUAA champs in 1984-85, and Ed played a leadership role on that squad. The team went on to claim the Varsity Blues’ first trip to the CIAU podium, with a bronze medal finish. Ed, a Silver T recipient, was also a tournament all-star at that national event.
In addition to his numerous team awards, Ed collected a number of individual honours throughout his career. He earned the 1984-85 George M. Biggs Trophy as the male student who contributed most to athletics, sportsmanship and leadership while at U of T, was a four-time OUAA all-star and three-time CIAU first team all-Canadian, becoming the first U of T volleyball player, male or female, to earn a first team all-Canadian honour.
The 1985 Engineering graduate was also an academic standout and finished third in his chemical engineering class.
Beyond his time at U of T, Ed was a member of the National indoor team from 1985-88 and competed in the 1985 FISU Games and 1987 Pan Am Games, played professional volleyball in Germany. He was a key component of the National beach squad from 1989-96 and represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games.
Away from the court, Ed has also served as Ontario’s Beach Volleyball Director, an FIVB Technical Supervisor and the Chair of Athletes CAN.
