U SPORTS HONOURS: MURMANN ALL-CANADIAN, WATSON ALL-ROOKIE

As announced by U SPORTS on Wednesday (Mar. 13) evening ahead of the 2024 U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Championship, Varsity Blues athletes Julia Murmann and Delaney Watson were recognized as a U SPORTS second-team All-Canadian and U SPORTS all-rookie, respectively.

For Murmann, this marks the second time in her three seasons competing with the Varsity Blues that she has received U SPORTS second team All-Canadian honours. The third-year outside hitter was a dynamic force for U of T all season long, helping the Blues make their return to the OUA postseason. Murmann finished the 2023-24 campaign fifth in the entire country in kills per set (3.87) and eighth in points per set (4.3). She notched 20 or more points in six matches this season, including tying her career-high of 27 points in two separate five set victories.Also a standout defensive player, she ranked 11th in U SPORTS in digs per set (3.45). 

Making an immediate impact in her debut season, first-year libero Watson parlayed her OUA all-rookie and OUA second team all-star recognition into national honours with the U SPORTS all-rookie nod. An awards worthy season saw the Life Sciences student kept up with the best in the country, finishing the year ranked second in all of U SPORTS in digs per set (4.73) and third and total digs (350). The defensive specialist tallied double-digit digs in 18 contests, while surpassing 20 digs in six matches. This included a season best 35 digs in the Blues four set victory over Windsor during a late season stretch of six consecutive wins ahead of the OUA playoffs.

The complete list of 2024 U SPORTS women’s volleyball award winners and All-Canadians is as follows:

Mary Lyons Award (outstanding player of the year): Raya Surinx, Manitoba
Mark Tennant Award (rookie of the year): Abby Guezen, Alberta
Thérèse Quigley Award (student-athlete community service): Madison Hann, Saint Mary’s
Marilyn Pomfret Award (Fox40 Coach of the Year): Michelle Wood, Acadia

First Team All-Canadians
Olivia Bell – Saint Mary’s – OH
Olympe Desmedt – Montréal – OH
Emma Bergeron – Sherbrooke – S
Hannah Duchesneau – Queen’s – OH
Sara Rohr – Brock – S
Raya Surinx – Manitoba – OH
Kaylee Plouffe – Trinity Western – MB

Second Team All-Canadians
Gabrielle Attieh – UFV – OH
Lucy Borowski – UBC – OH
Lauryn Tremblay – Alberta – OH
Mariah Bereziuk – MacEwan – OH
Jenna Woock – McMaster – MB
Julia Murmann – Toronto – OH/LIB
Charlotte Dean –  Acadia – S

All-Rookie Team
Talia Nixon – UNB – OH
Britanie Maranda – Sherbrooke – OH
Léonie Goupil – Laval – MB
Olivia Julien – McMaster – OH
Delaney Watson – Toronto – OH
Abby Guezen – Alberta – OH
Ronnie Dickson – Alberta – MB