MVB: Cal Wigston Named OUA Coach of the Year; Two Gryphons Men’s Volleyball Players Recognized as OUA All-Stars

BURLINGTON, Ont. – Two standout student-athletes from the Guelph Gryphons men’s volleyball team, as well as head coach Cal Wigston, were recognized on Tuesday (March 5) as Ontario University Athletics (OUA) announced the all-stars and major award winners from the 2023-24 OUA men’s volleyball season. Jonathan Pickett and Joshua Glasbergen were named OUA All-Stars after a strong season with the University of Guelph men’s volleyball team, while head coach Cal Wigston was named OUA Coach of the Year for the first time in his tenure after helping lead the Gryphons to a program-record 15 wins during the regular season. For more information on the rest of the 2023-24 OUA men’s volleyball all-stars and major award winners, visit www.oua.ca.
 

After leading the Gryphons men’s volleyball team to an outstanding 15-5 record during the regular season, as well as the team’s first postseason berth since 2019-20, University of Guelph head coach Cal Wigston was awarded the OUA Coach of the Year for the first time in his career as head of the Gryphons men’s volleyball program. With 2023-24 marking his 18th season in charge of the U of G men’s volleyball program, Wigston’s experience and leadership has often played a role in getting the best out of his team. Wigston becomes just the second University of Guelph men’s volleyball head coach to earn the conference’s coach of the year honour, joining Doug Dodd who won the award on two occasions in 2002-03 and 1997-98. 

This past season was one the most successful year’s in program history. The Gryphons finished the regular season with the best record in program history at 15-5 and claimed the No. 4-seed in the conference standings to earn a home playoff game. The Gryphons also ranked among the nation’s best teams for the majority of the season, appearing on the U SPORTS Top 10 for eight weeks, including a five-week stretch to close out the season, ranking as high as No. 8. The season was highlighted by a seven-game winning streak to open the year which saw wins over the Waterloo Warriors, Nipissing Lakers, Trent Excalibur, and York Lions. Wigston then led the team to an OUA semifinal berth with a 3-2 quarterfinal win over the Windsor Lancers, which saw the team come back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits.

In addition to Wigston’s OUA Coach of the Year award, the Gryphons also had a pair of student-athletes recognized as OUA All-Stars in Jonathan Pickett and Joshua Glasbergen. 

For Jonathan Pickett, a fifth-year student-athlete competing in his fourth year of eligibility, it marks the third time in his sensational Gryphon volleyball career in which he has earned the title of OUA First Team All-Star. The 22-year-old from Wiarton, Ontario ranked among the conference’s best in several key statistical categories including total points (312.5, 2nd in the OUA), kills (266, 3rd in the OUA), hitting percentage (.314, 4th in the OUA), and total blocks (46, 7th in the OUA). The 6-foot-6 outside hitter produced several memorable performances throughout the season including a season-high 23-point performance against the Nipissing Lakers early in the year. Pickett also reached a career milestone of 1,000 points with a 20-point outing against the Queen’s Gaels on February 10. In the postseason, Pickett played a key role in helping lead the Gryphons to an OUA quarterfinal win over the Windsor Lancers with 21.5 points, which included 5 in the fifth set with the Gryphons season on the line.

For third-year middle blocker Joshua Glasbergen, the 2023-24 OUA Second Team All-Star nod marks the first of his career with the Gryphons. An environmental science major from Burlington, Ontario, Glasbergen was instrumental in the success of the U of G men’s volleyball team this season finishing second in the conference in solo and total blocks (22 & 57) while earning the fourth-most points on the team. Glasbergen was the only Gryphon to appear in every match this season, missing just two of the Gryphons 74 sets played in 2023-24. He also saved his best performance for the biggest stage, totaling 12 points, a season-high, in the Gryphons quarterfinal win over the Lancers. 

The Gryphons men’s volleyball team will now set their sights on a huge game on Saturday night (March 9) in St. Catharines, where the Gryphons and Brock Badgers will meet up in the OUA bronze medal match, with the winner grabbing the OUA’s final berth into the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championships. It has been 36 years since the Gryphons last qualified for the national championships in men’s volleyball, but Pickett, Glasbergen and the rest of the team will look to write some history of their own with a victory on Saturday night at Brock. Gametime is set for 7pm. 
 

2023-24 OUA Major Award Winners

Player of the Year – Erick Siksna, Queen’s Gaels
Rookie of the Year – Brady Paterson, McMaster Marauders
Coach of the Year – Cal Wigston, Guelph Gryphons
Dale Iwanoczko Award of Merit – Lhexen Rabit, Queen’s Gaels
 

2023-24 OUA All-Stars

First Team
Eric Siksna, Queen’s Gaels
Maxime Gratoon, McMaster Marauders
Jonathan Pickett, Guelph Gryphons
Darian Koskie, Windsor Lancers
Brendan Mills, McMaster Marauders
Grant Reddon, Brock Badgers
Hunter Arulpragasam, U of T Varsity Blues
Blake Fenwick, Western Mustangs
Zigurds Licis, Queen’s Gaels
Alex King, TMU Bold
Trent O’Brien, Nipissing Lakers
William McIntyre, Waterloo Warriors
Jacob Ferland, Brock Badgers
Robbie Fujisawa, McMaster Marauders

Second Team
Joshua Glasbergen, Guelph Gryphons
Markus Law-Heese, Windsor Lancers
Dennis Cota, York Lions
Owen Kelly, Western Mustangs
Tyler Pavelic, McMaster Marauders
Devin Cooney, Brock Badgers
Liam MacArthur, Waterloo Warriors
Jayden Talsma, U of T Varsity Blues
Nicolas Badalato, Trent Excalibur
Jasraj Nijjar, York Lions
Lhexen rabit, Queen’s Gaels
Tyrus Cuculick, Nipissing Lakers
Andrew Gallant, RMC Paladins
Ben Kerkhoff, McMaster Marauders
 

2023-24 OUA All-Rookie Team

Brady Paterson, McMaster Marauders
Jack Svenden, Nipissing Lakers
Quintin Greenidge, Windsor Lancers
Josh Chapman, U of T Varsity Blues
Justice Smith, Nipissing Lakers
Jared Kuiken, McMaster Marauders
Alex Brdarevic, Queen’s Gaels