Falardeau finishes fourth year with player of the year nod for Toronto

Burlington, Ont. – One of the most imposing offensive players anywhere in the country comes out on top as the conference’s most valuable player, as Toronto Varsity Blues Evan Falardeau’s strong season headlines the award winners and all-stars from the 2022-23 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s volleyball season.

Most Valuable Player – Evan Falardeau, Toronto Varsity Blues

Evan Falardeau becomes the first Varsity Blue to earn OUA most valuable player honours since 2008-09.

A fourth-year left side hitter from Stratford, Ont., Falardeau led the OUA in total kills (349) and points (394.5), while ranking second in kills per set and points per set as well, registering 4.26 and 4.8, respectively. The political science major also sat fourth in the province with 136 digs in 20 matches this season to showcase his well-rounded game as a lynchpin in the Toronto program.

Falardeau, who is now a three-time OUA first team all-star, reached double digit points in all but two matches this season, and recorded a career-high 28 kills in U of T’s 3-2 victory over Brock on December 3rd, while also notching a season-high 31 points in a four-set win over York on November 10th.

Rookie of the Year – Chris Zimmerman, Queen’s Gaels

Chris Zimmerman set out on his varsity path during the 2022-23 season, and the first stop along his journey was an OUA rookie of the year selection.

Zimmerman, a first-year arts and science student, finished in the top-10 in assists in his debut campaign with the Gaels, averaging over eight per set to put him ninth amongst his fellow conference setters. The Prince George, B.C. product also finished the year with nine kills and 100 digs – good for 1.39 per set in the latter – showcasing the versatility he brings to the court.

Zimmerman’s potent play in orchestrating the offence helped lead the Gaels to an 11-9 record on the season and a playoff berth for the Kingston, Ont. club. In doing so, he also becomes the seventh member of the program to claim the top rookie nod.

Coach of the Year – James Gravelle, Windsor Lancers

The Windsor Lancers produced their best regular season result in program history in 2022-23, and at the helm of their monumental mark was OUA coach of the year James Gravelle.

Gravelle got the best out of his Windsor squad this season, leading them to a 15-5 record and a second-place regular season finish in the OUA. This success also had the Lancers listed in the national rankings multiple times, wrapping up the regular season as the No. 7 squad in the country.

En route to their first championship appearance coming up, Gravelle saw four members of the team earn all-status this season, including a pair of first team nods, and helped guide a well-rounded Windsor team that was effective both offensively and defensively this season. The proof is in the numbers for Gravelle’s group, as they ranked among the provincial leaders in kills per set (4th in OUA), hitting percentage (3rd in OUA), assists per set (4th in OUA), and service aces per set (1st in OUA), digs per set (2nd in OUA), blocks per set (2nd in OUA), and points per set (1st in OUA).

The Windsor, Ont. local and former Lancer men’s volleyball player himself joined his alma mater in 2013 and in wrapping up his 10th season as the team’s bench boss, earns his first conference coach of the year selection.

Dale Iwanoczko Award of Merit – Mateusz Wlodarski, McMaster Marauders

A fifth-year outside hitter, Mateusz Wlodarski went out swinging, both on and off the court, in his final season with the powerhouse Marauders.

Wlodarski recorded 136 kills on the year, averaging 2.27 per set for the maroon machine en route to being named a first team all-star. His 21 solo blocks placed the master’s student sixth in the conference and he also claimed a spot among the province’s top-10 with his 22 total aces and 0.37 service aces per set.

Academically, Wlodarski is a published scientific author and earned his BSc in biochemistry summa cum laude, the highest distinction attainable at McMaster. The Ottawa, Ont. local was awarded a summer research grant and is the first-ever McMaster student-athlete to be accepted into the MSc biochemistry program.

Outside of his academic and athletic commitments, Wlodarski tries to give back to his community. He tutors new lab members and teaches them how to code, while also actively participating in team community outreach events like Movember. Outside of that, the graduate student officiates local volleyball tournaments as a volunteer and participates in the organization and implementation of various McMaster Student Union events.

The complete list of 2022-23 OUA men’s volleyball award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Most Valuable Player – Evan Falardeau, Toronto Varsity Blues
Rookie of the Year – Chris Zimmerman, Queen’s Gaels
Coach of the Year – James Gravelle, Windsor Lancers
Dale Iwanoczko Award of Merit – Mateusz Wlodarski, McMaster Marauders

First Team All-Stars
Evan Falardeau, Toronto Varsity Blues
Erik Siksna, Queen’s Gaels
Jackson Young, Nipissing Lakers
Mateusz Wlodarski, McMaster Marauders
Zach Albert, Windsor Lancers
Josh Fadare, York Lions
Alex King, TMU Bold
Grant Reddon, Brock Badgers
Jonathan Pickett, Guelph Gryphons
Andrew Tauhid, York Lions
Liam MacArthur, Waterloo Warriors
Daniel Tudor, Toronto Varsity Blues
Jacob Walker, TMU Bold
Anthony DeGirolamo, Windsor Lancers

Second Team All-Stars
Benjamin Kerkhoff, McMaster Marauders
Josiah Esau, Western Mustangs
Cole Duncanson, Queen’s Gaels
Kyler Code, Brock Badgers
Joshua Wilkinson, RMC Paladins
Tyler Pavelic, McMaster Marauders
Jasraj Nijjar, York Lions
Luca Nastase, Windsor Lancers
Josh Nicholson, Nipissing Lakers
Fehin Awobodu, Waterloo Warriors
Gustavo Siqueira, Windsor Lancers
Mitchell Neuert, Toronto Varsity Blues
Owen Kelly, Western Mustangs
Wojciech Kraj, McMaster Marauders

All-Rookie Team
Chris Zimmerman, Queen’s Gaels
Devin Cooney, Brock Badgers
Trent O’Brien, Nipissing Lakers
Dennis Cota, York Lions
Michael Hickey, Toronto Varsity Blues
Aly Saydam, Trent Excalibur
Reed Venning, Queen’s Gaels