Randy
Gingera

Excellence and excitement describe what Randy Gingera brought to the game whenever he stepped onto the court. Randy joined the University of Calgary Dinos men’s volleyball team directly from Lord Beaverbrook High School in Calgary for the 1985-86 season and became a starter as a freshman and never looked back. 

He was a crowd favourite due to his incredible vertical and natural flair, which made it fun to watch him play. Randy was a very charismatic player who, at six-foot-two, proved it possible to be a primary attacker as an “under-sized” player. With a spike touch a shade under 12 feet, Randy was easily the most naturally athletic and gifted player in his era, and combined with his personality and passion, he was the one to watch. His jump service was a thing to watch as he rarely missed. 

Randy was a three-time Canada West All-Star selection, CIAU All-Canadian in 1988 and 1989, and a unanimous choice for Canada West and CIAU Player of the Year in 1989. The Dinos went undefeated in Canada, losing their only match of the year in the final of the prestigious University of Santa Barbara Tournament, where Randy was named MVP. In fact, Randy was the MVP of every tournament the Dinos played in 1989 except for the CIAU Final, where the Dinos setter, the late Kelly Grosky, deservedly won the award. 

For three summers, from 1985 to 1987, Randy played with Canada’s Junior Men’s National Team and, in 1987, was selected as a Second Team All-Star at the Junior World Championships in Bahrain. In 1988, Randy played for Team Canada’s Universiade team and then started a long and distinguished career playing for Team Canada when he was selected for the “A” team in 1989. Randy was the anchor on the right side for Team Canada, a position he consistently dominated internationally, competing in two World Championships in 1990 and 1994. Randy played with Team Canada between professional seasons until his retirement in 1999.

Randy was a member of the Canadian team that finished 10th at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The team lost a very close, five-set match to the United States and two other five-set matches, narrowly missing the tournament's quarterfinals. Randy represented Canada internationally for almost ten seasons as a National team member and played professionally around the globe.

Randy began his professional career in Belgium in 1992 after the Olympics, where his team, Volleyballklub Maes Pils Zellik, won the Belgian league twice. After qualifying for the Champions League, Maes Pils Zellik made back-to-back appearances in the Champions League Final Four, and anyone who pays attention to volleyball at this level knows how prestigious this accomplishment is. Maes Pils Zellik captured bronze in the 1993-94 Champions League season. Randy followed his Belgium experience with a two-year stint in Osaka, Japan, with the Nippon Steel Blazers, twice finishing second in the V-league and being selected the second-best server both years. In 1996, Randy joined Tourcoing-Lille Metropole in Tourcoing, France, leading his team to fourth in the French Championship. In his final year in professional volleyball, Randy joined Stade-Poitevin Volleyball in Poitiers, France and contributed to a third-place finish in the European Cup qualification.

Randy returned to the University of Calgary in 2000 to complete his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He graduated and then in June 2005, completed his Master’s Degree in environmental design (Industrial Design). His Master’s Degree project was the runner-up for the Environmental Design Gold Medal given to the most outstanding graduating student in the faculty.

Randy is described best as an intense competitor whose ability to fly through the air and crush the ball brought fans to their feet and raised the decibel level in the gym. His teammates remember him as the consummate team player who elevated the play of everyone around him due to his incredible desire to win. Randy is the definition of a true champion, and his success at every level proves that.

Today, we are honoured to induct Randy Gingera as an Athlete in the Volleyball Canada Hall of Fame. He most certainly deserves this recognition for his contributions as a pivotal player for Team Canada and for his remarkable international career.