2024-25 Season Preview: Gryphons Men’s Volleyball

GUELPH, Ont. – The Gryphons men’s volleyball team are back on the court to start a new season after a memorable 2023-24 campaign which saw them capture OUA bronze and compete at nationals for the first time in 36 years.
 
The 2024-25 OUA men’s volleyball regular season is 20 games among 13 programs across the province with the playoffs seeing the elimination of the play-in game and the top 8 teams in the OUA ladder qualifying directly in the postseason. The Gryphons begin their season hosting a doubleheader at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre on Friday (Oct. 25) and Saturday night (Oct. 26) as they take on the Waterloo Warriors.
 
While replacing the production of Gryphon graduate and standout All-Canadian, Jonathan Pickett, will not be easy, the Gryphons turn to several familiar faces to help fill the void. Fourth-year right side hitter, Jacob Schweyer, returns to the U of G lineup after injury caused the 6-foot-7 human kinetics major to miss significant time a season ago. When healthy, Schweyer has shown the ability to be one of the top attackers in the conference, with the Sudbury native totaling 78 kills in 9 games played last season before being sidelined. Alexander Odle returns for the 2024-25 season after establishing himself as a key player for the Gryphons during the team’s memorable 2023-24 run. The left-handed swinging Burlington native was second on the team with 123 kills, scoring 143 total points a season ago from the right side. Cameron Chadwick is back with the team for his third-year to provide consistency in both serve and attack for the Gryphons. Chadwick, an economics major from Barrie, Ontario, was the team leader with 20 aces last season to go along with his 104 kills and 80 digs.
 
The best blocking team in the conference last season sees their leading blocker, Joshua Glasbergen, back for his fourth season with the Gryphons. The environmental science major was second in the conference with 57 total blocks and provided 88 kills from his middle blocker position. Glasbergen was the one who had the match-winning kill to win the bronze medal for the Gryphons last season. Daniel Pickett (Wiarton, ON) is back as the team’s libero after leading the team with 127 digs last season. Experienced setter Jack Richards (London, ON) returns for his fourth season as the team’s main setter, with promising incoming rookie Tian Harcevic (Oakville, ON) also poised to contribute right away. 
 
The Gryphons open their 2024-25 OUA regular season with a weekend doubleheader at home against the Waterloo Warriors (Oct. 25 & 26) before beginning a tough, four-game road trip against a pair of nationally-ranked opponents (Nov. 1 & 2 at No. 8-ranked Windsor, Nov. 8 & 9 at No. 7-ranked McMaster). Tickets to the Gryphons season-opener on Friday, Oct. 25, and all regular season home games, are available at gryphons.ca/tickets, with all home and away games also being streamed at www.oua.tv.