Rain Jhaj (Women’s Basketball) & Jonathan Pickett (Men’s Volleyball) Named Gryph’s Locker Athletes of the Week presented by Core Power

GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2023-24 season, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics will be highlighting various members from our Gryphon varsity program as part of our ‘Gryph’s Locker Athletes of the Week, presented by Core Power’ series. This week’s ‘Gryph’s Locker Athletes of the Week presented by Core Power’ recipients are Rain Jhaj (women’s basketball) and Jonathan Pickett (men’s volleyball) for the period ending February 18, 2024. 
 

Rain Jhaj (Women’s Basketball)

19-year-old guard on the University of Guelph Gryphon’s women’s basketball team, Rain Jhaj takes home ‘Athlete of the Week’ honours for the first time in her career after a record-setting performance this past weekend in North Bay. The second-year student-athlete and product of Caledon, Ontario set a U of G women’s basketball program record for made 3’s in a single game against the Nipissing Lakers, connecting on seven shots from beyond the arc to cement her name in the record books. She went 7-for-11 from the three-point line and 8-of-13 from the field in 26 minutes of action, leading to a game-high 23 points. Her Friday night performance also set a new career-high for the psychology major, beating her previous best by 14-points. In addition to her explosive offensive play, Jhaj was also sensational on defence, recording a game-high 8 steals and recording a single block while failing to commit a single turnover despite being on the court for over half of the game. 

Rain’s performance was just one reason the Gryphons captured a dominant 85-51 over the Lakers to improve to 14-7 on the season. The Gryphons, who completed their 22-game regular season schedule with a final record of 15-7, will now host an OUA preliminary round game in the 2024 Critelli Cup playoffs this Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre. The U of G team will face off with the Windsor Lancers and will look to Jhaj and others to continue their stellar play into the postseason as the team hopes to advance to the quarterfinal round for the third consecutive season.
 

Jonathan Pickett (Men’s Volleyball)

In another record-setting performance, All-Canadian outside hitter Jonathan Pickett earns ‘Athlete of the Week’ after helping lead the Gryphons to back-to-back wins and a team-record, in the final weekend of the 2024 OUA regular season. On Friday (Feb. 16) and Saturday (Feb. 17) the Gryphons earned convincing victories over the TMU Bold, their 14th and 15th of the regular season, setting a University of Guelph men’s volleyball program record for regular season wins. Pickett, who played in his final regular season game as a Gryphon Saturday night, recorded 33 points over the course of the two-game set with the Bold. In the first match Friday night, the Wiarton, Ontario product earned 13 points thanks to 10 kills, 2 service aces, and a pair of assisted blocks, which led to a straight-sets victory for the Gryphons. The following night Pickett recorded his sixth 20+ point performance of the season, totaling 15 kills, 2 service aces, and 3 total blocks which led to a 3-1 win and a sweep of the visiting team to close out the regular season. 

Pickett, a sport and event management major, finishes the 2024 OUA season as one of the most productive athletes in the conference. He ranks within the top 10 of several key statistical categories including total points (2nd, 312.5), kills (3rd, 266), attacks (4th, 605), hitting percentage (4th, .314), and total blocks (7th, 46). The Gryphons will look to Pickett to continue his impressive play as the head into the OUA postseason. This Saturday (Feb. 24) the Gryphons will host the Windsor Lancers in the quarterfinal round of the Forsyth Cup playoffs, looking to advance to the semifinal round for the the first time since 2016-17. 
 

2023-24 Gryphon Athletes of the Week

*Indicates U SPORTS Athlete of the Week
*Indicates OUA Athlete of the Week