Irena Mihneva

Irena is continuously striving to give the best of herself, while always ensuring others benefit from her actions, skills and knowledge. She is also a very considerate person, keen to listen and learn from her friends and others. As coach, player and manager of the Queen's University of Belfast Volleyball team that won an unbeaten Northern Ireland league/cup double this year, as well as coach of the Northern Ireland Women National side, she demonstrated huge enthusiasm, and was an inspiration to many young players who not only benefited from her skills and technical knowledge, but also from her motivational and leadership capabilities. She is deeply involved in all volleyball matters, from coaching to refereeing, and will be representing NI at the CEV European Women's Referees Seminar in Montreux, Switzerland in June 2011). She'll also represent NI at the UK School Games in Sheffield in September 2011. As fellow volleyball referee and friend, I realise how crucial her involvement is to the development and promotion of volleyball in NI. She is always extremely keen to contribute to various events, from the NI Youth Games, to the development squads for NI, to local school tournaments. Her commitment and integrity were rewarded with a nomination from her peers as Northern Ireland Volleyball Association vice-president, which was accepted and seconded at the AGM on 27th May 2011. She is a true friend, willing to help, and always has a smile on her face!