Players Bench Athletes of the Week: February 20 – 26

Male Athlete of the Week

The MRU men’s volleyball team faced a crushing defeat against the Winnipeg Wesman and were eliminated from the Canada West playoffs. After losing 3-1 on Friday, the Cougars were able to force a deciding game three with a clutch 3-2 victory in front of a rowdy Kenyon Court crowd. However, the Wesmen were able to rebound for Sunday’s game, sweeping the Cougars 3-0 to advance in the playoffs.

The final recipient of the Players Bench Male Athlete of the Week for the 2023-24 season is Chris Byam. In his final three games as a Cougar, Byam left it all out on the court for his team. The captain recorded a total of 54 kills, seven blocks and three aces in 12 sets played. Byam showcased his most impressive performance of the weekend in Mount Royal’s five-set win on Saturday when he put up playoff career-highs of 24 kills and seven blocks. After the incredible weekend, the Bow Island, Alta. product ranks first in total playoff kills for MRU men’s volleyball history. Byam concludes his tenure at Mount Royal as one of, if not the best player the program has ever seen.

This is the fourth time of the 2023-24 season that Byam has won the Players Bench Male Athlete of the Week.

Female Athlete of the Week

Mount Royal’s women’s hockey team saw their national championship title defence come to an end this past weekend. The Alberta Pandas claimed a 2-1 series win over the Cougars to advance to the Canada West final, eliminating MRU in the process. Despite losing game one, the Cougars battled to force a game three with a crucial win on Saturday. Ultimately, the Pandas were able to move past the loss, taking game three and advancing to the final.

The final recipient of the Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week for the 2023-24 season is Kaitlyn Ross. The Cougar netminder was the team’s best player for the second weekend in a row and showed once again that “Playoff Kaitlyn Ross” is a different animal. Ross stopped 77 of the 80 shots she faced from Alberta over the course of the three-game series. In Saturday’s game two win for MRU, Ross earned her eighth career playoff shutout, the most in U SPORTS women’s hockey history. The goaltender from Redcliff, Alta. also made 32 saves in the Cougars’ final game of the season. In an outstanding playoff performance, Ross finishes the 2024 postseason with a 0.81 goals against average and a .970 save percentage.

This is the second week in a row that Ross has been named Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week.