Melissa Bartlett excelled on land and water during her prolific athletic career as she was an outstanding
volleyball player at the club, secondary school, university and international levels who also achieved
success as a competitive swimmer.
Melissa spent six seasons with the Chatham Ballhawks' club volleyball team, making her debut as a Grade
7 student in 1998 and won provincial silver medals in 2003 and '04.
Melissa had an outstanding high school athletic career at Chatham-Kent Secondary School as she was a
member of four Kent and SWOSSAA champions and two OFSAA silver medalists in her four seasons
with the Golden Hawks' senior girls volleyball team. She was a three-time Kent all-star and was MVP at
five different tournaments in her Grade 12 year.
Melissa was a three-time CKSS Female Athlete of the year (2002-04), Academic Athlete of the Year
(2004) and was the prestigious Dr. Jack Parry Award winner in 2004 as the top high school female
graduating student-athlete in all of Chatham-Kent.
Melissa played with the Canadian Youth National Volleyball in 2002 and the Canadian Junior National
Team in 2003 (co-captain) and 2004 (captain).
She was captain of the Ontario Provincial Volleyball Team that won the Gold Medal at the 2005 Canada
Summer Games in Regina, where she was the overall scoring champion in combined blocks, kills and
aces.
Melissa earned an athletic scholarship to Eastern Michigan (Div. I) in Ypsilantii, where she was named a

Mid-American Conference all-star in her second year in 2005-06 when the team won the program's first-
ever MAC East Division Championship.

She transferred to Hillsdale College (Div. II) for her final two years, where she was named an Academic
All-American and first-team Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference all-star both seasons. In her
senior year of 2007-08, she was GLIAC Player of the Year, Midwest Region Player of the Year, Coaches
first-team All- American and GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipient as the conference's top academic
athlete. She was also named by " ESPN The Magazine ", 2nd Team All-District Honours with a 3.97
average.
Melissa graduated from Hillsdale with a Bachelor of Science degree with a teaching certificate.
After one year of playing professionally in Spain, she returned to Hillsdale as an assistant coach in
2009-10.
Melissa came back home to teach and coach at CKSS as well as with the Chatham Ballhawks.
In 2011-12, she was an assistant coach with Team Ontario 17U girls and one year later, was the head
coach of the Team Ontario 18U girls that won the National Team Challenge Cup tournament.
In the fall of 2013, Melissa was named head coach of the Western University Mustangs women's
volleyball team, where she was still coaching in 2025 at the time of her Hall of Fame enshrinement.
Melissa was the OUA Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2024-25.
Melissa is also currently co-director of the Volleyball Kent Camp, which her father Randy Barlett founded
36 years ago.
Melissa received double honours at the 2014 Ontario Volleyball Hall of Fame ceremony as she was
inducted as an athlete as well as a member of the 2005 Ontario Canada Games championship team.
The same year, she was also inducted into the Hillsdale College Hall of Fame with her team of 2006.
Melissa also enjoyed an impressive 10-year tenure as a swimmer with Chatham Y Pool Sharks
(1993-2002) as she still holds nine team records, won a number of events at the provincial championships
and placed in the top five in the 2002 Commonwealth Games Trials.
Melissa's illustrious accomplishments are a testament to her tremendous fortitude, passion and hard work.