Award-winning veterans stand tallest among impressive crop of volleyball newcomers

Burlington, Ont. – While many newcomers to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) scene made a splash in their foray into the league, a pair of savvy veterans stand tallest as most valuable player recipients, headlining the strong group of award winners and all-stars from the 2021-22 women’s volleyball season.

The Toronto Varsity Blues have housed a number of award-winners over the years, and adding to the accolades this season are another three members of the squad, including most valuable player, Jenna Woock.

The senior from Richmond Hill, Ont. was a powerhouse in the middle for the division-leading Blues once again, something the team has grown accustomed to throughout her decorated university career. After taking home all-star nods in each of her first three seasons, including a first-team selection in 2019-20, the health and disease major did one better this year with the MVP nod.

Woock led her position in points per set (3.3) and total points (123.5) across the conference, will ranking fourth in all of Canada in the former. Her .451 hitting percentage, meanwhile, put her atop the conference in that regard. It wasn’t just on the offensive side that Woock wreaked her havoc; however, as she also paced the Toronto team with 24 total blocks.

Joining Woock as part of the league’s statistical standouts in her debut campaign is Julia Murmann, who continues the proud tradition of strong first-year Blues to take home the rookie of the year nod. The outside hitter from Toronto, Ont. joined her hometown team and made an immediate impact on the scoresheet, leading the team in kills per set (3.44), total kills (117), points per set (3.3), and total points (129.5) in her 10 games of action. Not only was she barraging opponents at a team-leading rate, but also across the conference, ranking second in kills per set across Ontario and earning top-12 ranks in the latter three statistical areas.

Despite this being her first year of competition, the first team all-star and all-rookie, studying arts and science, has stepped up in a big way to become the 10th player in program history to claim the honour.

While the team’s award-winning student-athletes continue to come and go, a staple for the team over the last three-plus decades stands on the sidelines, and decorated bench boss Kristine Drakich earns another accolade for her already unmatched OUA resume.

A three-time OUA all-star herself, having also played on the national team for four years, Drakich has helped set a standard of excellence for Toronto throughout her tenure with the school, and even in her 33rd season, the Toronto, Ont. native is carrying on that grand tradition. The now 11-time OUA coach of the year led her team to an undefeated campaign, finishing 12-0 on the year, achieving the feat for just the fourth time in her UofT coaching career. En route to their unblemished mark, Drakich’s crew dropped just five sets, while taking home the aforementioned pair of awards, three all-star nods, and two all-rookie selections.

Toronto wasn’t the only team to avoid the loss column this season; however, as Brock also notched an undefeated record of their own. Badgers coach Steve Delaney was similarly instrumental in helping guide his squad to such lofty standards and earned the West Division coach of the year award as a result.

During the team’s first perfect season since 1989-90, Delaney and the Badgers strung of 16 consecutive sets, demonstrating critical consistency in their on-court dominance. The team completed the campaign as the league leaders in total kills (598), kills per set (13.91), total assists (550), assists per set (12.79), total points (762), and points per set (17.7).

Previously wining the coaching award in 2019-20, the now back-to-back winner saw his team take home a second straight West Division title, and after earning their first final four spot since 1991 last season, Delaney is looking to cap off his fourth season as coach by setting continued new heights with his team.

From a fourth-year coach to a fourth-year player, Western’s Janelle Albert has been a lynchpin in the potent Mustangs attack. Albert’s 4.28 kills per set led both the conference and country, while also ranking atop the OUA with 4.8 points per set and 154 total kills. Albert also finished fourth with a .313 hitting percentage and earned top-10 spots in both total digs (118; 8th in OUA) and digs per set (3.28; 9th in OUA).

Despite this being her first season with the Mustangs, the product of Brampton, Ont. has stepped into an immediate leadership role. Bringing in experience with both Fanshawe College and the Rams, Albert’s veteran leadership has helped lead a youthful Mustangs roster to an impressive 2021-22 stretch, with the team finishing third in the West during the regular season.

Also stuffing the statistical stat sheet this season on the outside was McMaster’s Sullie Sundara, and by setting such a high bar in her venture into the OUA, she earns the West Division’s rookie of the year award.

The rookie social sciences major from Kanata, Ont. made herself right at home in Hamilton as part of the division’s second-ranked team. Sundara, who becomes the fourth Marauder to earn the first-year accolade, played her way to an eighth-best point-per-set mark (3.7), while also staking a claim to a top-10 spot in kills per set (3.00; 9th in OUA). Her 2.86 digs per set were also good for 13th in the conference.

Sundara, who’s debut university campaign also saw her earn a spot among the OUA’s first team all-stars, really found her footing in the latter half of the season, registering no fewer than 13 points in her final five contests. Included in that impressive stretch was a career-best mark of 18.5 points against Waterloo, connecting on 17 kills therein, which was also a personal best.

Sundara wasn’t the only Marauder to crack the first-team roster; however, as fellow McMaster standout Jessie Nairn accomplished the feat, while also serving as a leader off the court. For her all-around contributions, the Oakville, Ont. native has been named the division’s award of merit recipient.

A standout player across her five years with the Marauders, Nairn’s career totals rival some of the best in the OUA and she has continued to shine among the conference’s elite in her fifth and final season. The all-star right side has been equally as impressive off the court as well, as the honours bachelor of commerce student has twice been awarded the Marauder Scholar Award, is a three-time academic all-Canadian, and is well on her way to earning the same honour this season.

Extending beyond the campus, Nairn has also dedicated herself tirelessly to the surrounding community. As a member of MAC Athletes Care, she helped lead grassroots initiatives that included annual fundraising for breast cancer awareness and teaching volleyball to athletics-driven elementary school students within the Hamilton public school system. Nairn is also a mental health executive within the Marauders Varsity Leadership Committee, a group for which she has served as co-president for the last two years. The community volleyball coach also turned what would have been a student role within the McMaster department of athletics, which was cut due to the pandemic, into a valuable volunteer opportunity.

Making their mark as the East Division’s award of merit recipient, finally, Brooke Driscoll was a key figure on and off the court for the Trent Excalibur.

The Peterborough, Ont. native, who is currently completing their Master’s in anthropology, is a multi-time academic all-Canadian who serves as a teaching assistant for several undergraduate classes on top of their own courses. They have been a role model in how to balance academics and commitment to a varsity sport, and on the sport side, this has been epitomized both in competition and training. Driscoll, who was named co-captain of the team, offered to be a workout buddy for fellow teammates this past season and helped organize team workouts over Zoom during the cancelled 2020-21 season.

Alongside their fellow graduating Excalibur teammates, meanwhile, Driscoll helped spearhead a fundraising initiative through the local rotary club with the annual Polar Plunge. The fourth-year libero also helped develop social media content for the women’s volleyball team’s social media accounts for last year’s Pride Month, sharing their own story on finding their identity and how the team was a support system through that journey. They remain a steadfast LGBTQ2+ community member and advocate.

The complete list of 2021-22 OUA women’s volleyball award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Award Winners

East Division
Most Valuable Player – Jenna Woock, Toronto
Rookie of the Year – Julia Murmann, Toronto
Coach of the Year – Kristine Drakich, Toronto
Award of Merit – Brooke Driscoll, Trent

West Division
Most Valuable Player – Janelle Albert, Western
Rookie of the Year – Sullie Sundara, McMaster
Coach of the Year – Steve Delaney, Brock
Award of Merit – Jessie Nairn, McMaster

All-Stars

East Division

First Team
Jenna Woock, Toronto
Julia Murmann, Toronto
Arielle Palermo, Queen’s
Olivia Kim, York
Hayley Goodwin, Toronto
Lauryn Colpitts, Queen’s
Chiara Da Silva, York

Second Team
Shayla Kessler, Nipissing
Ashley Ditchfield, Rams
Genna Saunders, Trent
Vivian Zanutel, Queen’s
Sophia Currier, Toronto
Mary Stewart, Queen’s
Rebecca Illingworth, Nipissing

All-Rookies
Julia Murmann, Toronto
Mary Stewart, Queen’s
Alisa Trubyuk, York
Hannah Duchesneau, Queen’s
Mary Ann Rioflorido, Rams
Asya Dogruer, Toronto
Taya Knier, Trent

West Division

First Team
Janelle Albert, Western
Sarah Glynn, Waterloo
Sara Rohr, Brock
Jessie Nairn, McMaster
Grace Pyatt, Brock
Sullie Sundara, McMaster
Alex Curran, Guelph

Second Team
Sadie Dick, Brock
Madison Chimienti, Brock
Ellie Hatashita, McMaster
Lauren Pastor, Western
Ashley Vang, Guelph
Mackenzie Vallee, Waterloo
Brooke Davis, Windsor

All-Rookies
Sullie Sundara, McMaster
Sadie Dick, Brock
Lauren Pastor, Western
Madison Chimienti, Brock
Sophie Fernback, Guelph
Jaeya Brach, Western
Emma Shepherd, Windsor