LETHBRIDGE NAMED OCAA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LONDON, Ont. – Fanshawe College fifth-year setter Sebastian Lethbridge (London, Ont.) is the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year. Lethbridge received the award in a ceremony held in London, Ont., on Wednesday.

Lethbridge helped lead the Fanshawe Falcons to a West Division championship averaging 7.91 assists per set. Lethbridge also contributed 22 kills, 17 blocks and six service aces totalling 45 points in 15 matches. Also named a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian, the West Division Player of the Year headlines the West Division First-Team All-Stars.

CJ Okeke (Nigeria) of Georgian College is the East Division Player of the Year. The outside hitter is the East Division Scoring Champion having averaged 4.5 points per set on 218 kills, 25 blocks and 15 service aces totalling 258 points in 17 matches, helping the Grizzlies win the East Division championship. Also named a CCAA All-Canadian, Okeke headlines the East Division First-Team All-Stars.

Brett Jenkins (Peterborough, Ont.) of Redeemer University is also a CCAA All-Canadian. The third-year outside hitter is the West Division Scoring Champion having averaged 4.1 points per set on 229 kills, 51 service aces and 22 blocks for 301 points in 16 matches. Jenkins is also a West Division First-Team All-Star.

Jenkins’ teammate Derick Breukelman (Burlington, Ont.) is the OCAA Rookie of the Year. The Redeemer outside hitter averaged 3.5 points per set on 195 kills, 28 service aces and 28 blocks equalling 252 points in 16 matches. The West Division Rookie of the Year is also an West Division Second-Team All-Star and headlines the West Division All-Rookie Team.

Adriana Bento of Centennial College is the OCAA Coach of the Year. The Colts went from an abbreviated regular season record of 2-6 in 2022 to 12-6 in 2022-23, good for fourth place in the East Division. The East Division Coach of the Year is also the nominee for CCAA Coach of the Year.

Georgian’s Gage McCurdy (Burlington, Ont.) is the East Division Rookie of the Year. The outside hitter averaged 3.7 points per set on 189 kills, 21 service aces and 18 blocks totalling 228 points in 18 matches. McCurdy headlines the East Division All-Rookie Team.

Patrick Johnston of Fanshawe is the West Division Coach of the Year. The Falcons went from an abbreviated regular season record of 5-4 in 2022-23 (having lost more sets than they won) to a record of 16-2 in 2022-23 and a West Division crown.

In addition to Lethbridge and Jenkins, OCAA West Division First-Team All-Stars include Sven Trodel (Sudbury, Ont.) of Cambrian College; Jayden Crowther (London, Ont.) and Tanner Paterson (Baden, Ont.) of Fanshawe; Jaskarn Kalsi (Rexdale, Ont.) of Humber College; and Turner Neame (Hamilton, Ont.) of Mohawk College.

Joining Okeke as OCAA East Division First-Team All-Stars are Jeff Commerford (Peterborough, Ont.) and Pras Jeyapalasingham (Ottawa, Ont.) of Algonquin College; Steve Bidal (North Bay, Ont.) and Tristan Godmaire (Ottawa, Ont.) of Canadore College; and Jaeson Bernal (Scarborough, Ont.) and Peter Ostranski-Ayles (Toronto, Ont.) of Seneca College.

Along with Breukelman, OCAA West Division Second-Team All-Stars include Jason Diotte (Sudbury, Ont.) of Cambrian; Jake Gomes (Oakville, Ont.) and Jaydon Milne (Scarborough, Ont.) of Humber; Anthony Beijes (Hamilton, Ont.) and Joel Sloots (Hamilton, Ont.) of Mohawk; and Micah Nieuwets (St. Catharines, Ont.) of Niagara College.

The OCAA East Division Second-Team All-Stars include Connor Finnie (Ottawa, Ont.) of Algonquin; Ethan Lucas (Sydenham, Ont.) of Canadore; Alexander Smith (Toronto, Ont.) of Centennial; Dion Pearson-Laviolette (Paisley, Ont.) of Fleming College; David Kiswa (Toronto, Ont.) of George Brown College; and Zane Brandt (Blumenort, Man.) and Brandon Myers (Komoka, Ont.) of Georgian.

Joining Breukelman on the West Division All-Rookie Team are Evan Kritz (Cambridge, Ont.) of Conestoga College; Michael McAlpine (Belleville, Ont.) of Humber; Peter Pilling (St. Catharines, Ont.) of Mohawk; and Eric Glos (Tecumseh, Ont.) and Kale Wilkinson (Windsor, Ont.) of St. Clair College.

In addition to McCurdy, members of the East Division All-Rookie Team include Konrad Siedlec (Cambridge, Ont.) of Canadore; Nandor Gallo (Oshawa, Ont.) and Josh Padmore (Hamilton, Ont.) of Durham College; Kiswa of George Brown; and Liam Thomas (Barrie, Ont.) of Georgian.

2023 OCAA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL AWARDS

OCAA Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year

Sebastian Lethbridge, Fanshawe

CCAA Men’s Volleyball All-Canadians

Brett Jenkins, Redeemer
Sebastian Lethbridge, Fanshawe

CJ Okeke, Georgian


OCAA Men’s Volleyball Rookie of the Year

Derick Breukelman, Redeemer

OCAA Men’s Volleyball Coach of the Year

Adriana Bento, Centennial

OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional Player of the Year

CJ Okeke, Georgian

OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional Player of the Year

Sebastian Lethbridge, Fanshawe 

OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional Rookie of the Year

Gage McCurdy, Georgian

OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional Rookie of the Year

Derick Breukelman, Redeemer

OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional Coach of the Year

Adriana Bento, Centennial

OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional Coach of the Year

Patrick Johnston, Fanshawe

OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional Scoring Champion

CJ Okeke, Georgian

OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional Scoring Champion

Brett Jenkins, Redeemer

OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional Champions

Georgian Grizzlies

OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional Champions

Fanshawe Falcons

OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional First Team All-Stars
Jaeson Bernal, Seneca
Steve Bidal, Canadore

Jeff Commerford, Algonquin
Tristan Godmaire, Canadore

Pras Jeyapalasingham, Algonquin
CJ Okeke, Georgian

Peter Ostranski-Ayles, Seneca


OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional First Team All-Stars

Jayden Crowther, Fanshawe
Brett Jenkins, Redeemer
Jaskarn Kalsi, Humber
Sebastian Lethbridge, Fanshawe
Turner Neame, Mohawk
Tanner Paterson, Fanshawe

Sven Trodel, Cambrian


OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional Second Team All-Stars

Zane Brandt, Georgian
Connor Finnie, Algonquin
David Kiswa, George Brown
Ethan Lucas, Canadore
Brandon Myers, Georgian
Dion Pearson-Laviolette, Fleming
Alexander Smith, Centennial


OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional Second Team All-Stars

Anthony Beijes, Mohawk

Derick Breukelman, Redeemer
Jason Diotte, Cambrian
Jake Gomes, Humber
Jaydon Milne, Humber

Micah Nieuwets, Niagara
Joel Sloots, Mohawk


OCAA Men’s Volleyball East Divisional All-Rookie Team
Nandor Gallo, Durham

David Kiswa, George Brown
Gage McCurdy, Georgian
Josh Padmore, Durham
Konrad Siedlec, Canadore

Liam Thomas, Georgian

OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Divisional All-Rookie Team

Derick Breukelman, Redeemer
Eric Glos, St. Clair
Evan Kritz, Conestoga
Michael McAlpine, Humber
Peter Pilling, Mohawk

Kale Wilkinson, St. Clair


– OCAA –

ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

For over 50 years, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association has been a dedicated leader in amateur athletics through the provision of quality varsity and recreational athletic opportunities at the collegiate level.

For additional information please contact:
Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com