Briar Crerar (Women’s Volleyball) Named U SPORTS Athlete of the Week

TORONTO, Ont. – On Wednesday, January 10, 2024, the U SPORTS office announced the latest edition of U SPORTS Athletes of the Week, and for the fifth time during the 2023-24 season, a University of Guelph student-athlete has been named a U SPORTS Athlete of the Week. Briar Crerar, a second-year outside hitter with the Gryphons women’s volleyball team, has been named U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Athlete of the Week for the period covering Jan. 1-7, 2024. Briar was one of six student-athletes from across the country to be earn U SPORTS Athlete of the Week honours, with hockey, basketball, and volleyball all represented within the latest weekly national honours.
 

U SPORTS Athletes of the Week (Jan. 1-7, 2024)

Women’s Basketball: MacKeely Shantz, Western Mustangs
Men’s Basketball: Martynas Sabaliauskas, Calgary Dinos
Women’s Hockey: Erica Fryer, University of Toronto Varsity Blues
Men’s Hockey: Thomas Couture, Acadia Axemen
Women’s Volleyball: Briar Crerar, Guelph Gryphons
Men’s Volleyball: Matthew Hamilton, Thompson Rivers Wolfpack
 

Briar Crerar, a second-year left side hitter on the University of Guelph women’s volleyball team, takes home U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Athlete of the Week honours after producing 39.5 total points and helping lead the Gryphons to back-to-back wins this past weekend. On Thursday night (Jan. 4) Crerar and the Gryphons returned to the court after nearly a month off for the winter break, hosting the U of T Varsity Blues to kick off the new year. Crerar produced 19.5 total points on 18 kills, both team-highs, as the Gryphons defeated the Varsity Blues in a five set thriller. The 19-year-old Pickering native recorded six of her 19.5 points in the final set which included back-to-back kills to tie the fifth set at 12-12. Crerar also led the Gryphons in digs (21) while adding a service ace and an assisted block to her stat line. 

The following night the Gryphons were on the road to take on the York Lions, where Crerar would once again impress. The psychology major tied a career high in points (20.0) and set a new one in kills (19) as the Gryphons came back after dropping the first two sets to win the match 3-2 and improve to 7-2 on the season. Crerar once again saved some of her best for last, accounting for four points in the final set, including three of the last five, to help lead the Gryphons to a perfect weekend. The win also marked an official season-sweep of the Gryphons series with the Lions, having previously taken down York on November 24. 

The Gryphons now sit in a tie for the third-place in the OUA West standings with the Queen’s Gaels (7-1) after having jumped the Western Mustangs (5-2). Both the Gryphons and Gaels trail the U SPORTS No. 4-ranked McMaster Marauders (9-1) and Brock Badgers (9-1) who are currently tied for the conference lead. Part of the Gryphons successes this season can be attributed to the played of their former OUA All-Rookie, with Crerar ranked among the OUA’s best in several key season statistics including total attacks (283, 5th), kills (99, 7th), service aces (14, 7th), and total points (118.5, 6th). The team will look for Crerar to continue her stellar play as they head to Kingston this weekend for back-to-back matchups with the RMC Paladins. 

For more information on all the U SPORTS Athletes of the Week, head to www.usports.ca. 
 

Guelph Gryphons Named U SPORTS Athletes of the Week in 2023-24