Mustangs Albert caps off amazing varsity career with MVP accolade

Burlington, Ont. – A leader for the program and among her conference peers throughout her decorated varsity tenure, Western’s Janelle Albert caps off her Mustangs career by taking home most valuable player honours, headlining the award winners and all-stars from the 2022-23 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women’s volleyball season.

Most Valuable Player – Janelle Albert, Western Mustangs

For the second time in as many years, Janelle Albert has topped her conference peers as the OUA’s most valuable player.

The senior led the OUA and ranked third across the country with her 4.7 points per set, but that was just one of the seven different statistical categories in which Albert finished among the top-four in the OUA. Alongside her prolific per-set point production, the fifth-year outside hitter was also among the provincial leaders in kills, kills per set, hitting percentage, aces, aces per set, and total points.

One of the many reasons Albert was able to achieve such lofty standards in leading her London squad to the national rankings was her consistency from match-to-match. The Brampton, Ont. native, who spent the 2022 summer as a member of the Canadian National B team, had 10 matches this year with at least 19 points, which included a season-high 32-point performance against the Toronto Varsity Blues on January 29th.

En route winning Western’s fifth such honour in program history, Albert closes her varsity career not just on a high note in 2022-23, but overall, as she will graduate as the programs all-time leader in kills per set (3.97). Albert will now pursue the start of her professional playing career playing overseas in fall 2023.

Rookie of the Year – Oceane Raymond-Leduc, Nipissing Lakers

Looking like anything but a first-year player in her debut season, Nipissing’s Oceane Raymond-Leduc launched herself among the conference’s top players in 2022-23 amidst her rookie of the year selection.

The outside hitter from Ottawa, Ont. averaged 3.8 points per set for the Lakers this year, ranking her fifth in the OUA therein. She secured an identical spot among the conference’s leaders in kills per set with 3.22, while her 222 total kills put her sixth. Lethal from the service line as well, the education student also finished in the top-10 in service aces per set. These sparkling stats were also meaningful when looking at the Lakers’ record books, as Raymond-Leduc was able to set new program highs in total kills, kills per set, and points per set in her foray to the varsity courts.

In addition to producing a record-setting season overall, Raymond-Leduc also generated some memorable moments throughout, feats that included her setting a new single-game record for Nipissing with 26 kills (in just four sets) and collecting 28.5 points for the match. That same weekend, she also notched 17 points the evening before, to bring her record-setting two-game stretch to 45.5 points in just seven sets of play and an OUA athlete of the week nod.

Reymond-Leduc becomes the second Nipissing player to take home the rookie recognition.

Coach of the Year – Steve Delaney, Brock Badgers

The top regular season team in the province also boasts the top coach from the 2022-23 OUA campaign.

Brock Badgers bench boss Steve Delaney led the team to a first-place finish in the OUA this season, putting together a conference-best 18-2 record. En route to the top spot in the standings, the St. Catharines squad won an OUA-best 58 sets, while dropping just 12, the lowest in the province. Delaney had his Badgers bursting out of the gates as well, seeing his side win 10 straight matches to open the year before closing out the campaign with another seven straight victories.

On the court, Delaney’s high-powered offence, which showcases a large number of attack options, saw six players finish the season averaging over two points per set, including a pair of Badgers ranking in the OUA’s top-10. Defensively, the team was strong as well, with a top-two libero in the province and four total players registering 100 digs or more.

In his fifth season as Brock’s head coach, Delaney now holds a 58-13 record in OUA regular season matches following the completion of the 2022-23 season, marking an .817 winning percentage. His impressive stretch at the helm has also led to great individual success on the sidelines, as this marks the third straight season he has collected OUA coach of the year honours, in addition to his national recognition a year ago.  

Award of Merit – Christina Stratford, McMaster Marauders

Setting a high standard on the court, in the classroom, and in the community, Christina Stratford takes home the award of merit for the maroon and grey.

A third-year setter, Stratford found her stride over the 2022-23 season. The Burlington, Ont. local ranks in the top-10 in both setter statistical categories, averaging 6.62 assists per set (8th in OUA) and recorded a total of 417 total assists to rank 10th in the province. She also added nine kills, six service aces, and 107 digs throughout the regular season.

When she is not on the court, the kinesiology major stays active in the McMaster and Hamilton communities. Stratford is the co-president of the Varsity Leadership Committee, where she implements educational workshops for teams, improves engagement across teams at events (i.e., Paint Night) and promotes mental health initiatives. Stratford is also an executive member of both Mac Athletes Care and the Women’s Athletic Leadership Council. In these roles, she coordinates the Raise the Grade Program for the Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton and is involved in the creation of workshops and seminars for female athletes at McMaster.

In the Hamilton community, the team captain and 2021-22 McMaster volleyball MVP is the head coach of the 17U Kilimanjaro MVC team and, prior to that, was an assistant coach with the same club. Academically, the three-time academic all-Canadian is a student mentor for Grade 7 and 8 students, wherein she holds interactive workshops and builds students’ skills on the path to post-secondary education.

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

Most Valuable Player – Janelle Albert, Western Mustangs
Rookie of the Year – Oceane Raymond-Leduc, Nipissing Lakers
Coach of the Year – Steve Delaney, Brock Badgers
Award of Merit – Christina Stratford, McMaster Marauders

First Team All-Stars
Janelle Albert, Western Mustangs
Sarah Glynn, Waterloo Warriors
Grace Pyatt, Brock Badgers
Sullie Sundara, McMaster Marauders
Sara Rohr, Brock Badgers
Julie Moore, TMU Bold
Lauren Mellon, Queen’s Gaels
Julia Murmann, Toronto Varsity Blues
Claire Gagne, Waterloo Warriors
Aleiah Torres, Brock Badgers
Christina Piccinin, York Lions
Hannah Duchesneau, Queen’s Gaels
Hayley Brookes, McMaster Marauders
Sadie Dick, Brock Badgers

Second Team All-Stars
Oceane Raymond-Leduc, Nipissing Lakers
Ellie Hatashita, McMaster Marauders
Aliah Admans, Windsor Lancers
Ashley Ditchfield, TMU Bold
Mary Stewart, Queen’s Gaels
Ava Ebert, Western Mustangs
Rebekah Hara, Lakehead Thunderwolves
Maddy Lutes, McMaster Marauders
Paige Owen, Nipissing Lakers
Mary Rioflorido, TMU Bold
Amarai Endes, York Lions
Abbey Neufeld, Waterloo Warriors
Ella Carter, Guelph Gryphons
Maddie Bowles, Western Mustangs

All-Rookie Team
Oceane Raymond-Leduc, Nipissing Lakers
Aliah Admans, Windsor Lancers
Ava Ebert, Western Mustangs
Paige Owen, Nipissing Lakers
Kennedy Millin, Queen’s Gaels
Olivia Zhu, Toronto Varsity Blues
Briar Crerar, Guelph Gryphons