Lakehead University

Although the Thunderwolves women’s volleyball team lost its game 3-1 to Queen’s this past Saturday at the C J Sanders Fieldhouse on the Lakehead campus in Thunder Bay and was knocked out of playoff contention; Johnson put on one of the most memorable individual displays of athletic talent, sheer will, tenacity, and defensive skill I have ever seen. 

 

In the four-set loss to the Gaels; Johnson had a phenomenal 51 digs; and probably 45 of them were of the spectacular variety; incredible diving digs; one handed over the back digs; thunderous kills off her head that she redirected into play; you name it; she dug it up and kept her team in the game.  It was one of the two best single game individual athletic performances this writer has seen in watching seven seasons of Lakehead varsity sports.

 

This was probably Johnson’s last weekend in a Thunderwolves uniform and, if so, Johnson ends her career with an incredible season for the Wolves in her Libero position.  She is 3rd in the OUA (6th CIS) in total digs with 329 and second in the CIS and OUA in digs per game with 5.48 per game.  The CIS and OUA leader for digs per game is 5.98 (York’s Antonia Stathakos) and to give you an idea of how good Johnson was in Saturday’s game; she averaged a mind-boggling 12.75 digs per game in the four-set match. 

  

On this day; Johnson, already one of the best Liberos in the CIS, was playing volleyball at another level and it was a privilege to be witness to such a performance.  It was like watching a basketball player get 80 points or a hockey player score 8 goals; you name the best superlative sports comparison you can think of and that’s how good Johnson was on Saturday.  Unfortunately, the Wolves did not win and therefore did not qualify for the playoffs; but Lindsey Johnson walked away from that match the epitomy of a true champion and was truly Lakehead Athletics Female Athlete of the Week.