WVB: 2024-25 Season Preview

The Mount Royal University Cougars women’s volleyball team opens up their season on Friday, Oct. 25 when they host the University of Fraser Valley Cascades. Before the women serve up their season, catch up on last season’s efforts and check out where they landed among Canada West coaches’ polls! 

Tickets

Watch the Cougars live on Kenyon Court by purchasing your tickets here. MRU students and employees receive free tickets to all home games.

Cougars Women’s Volleyball on Canada West TV

Every men’s basketball game will be available live and on demand this season exclusively on Canada West TV – the official streaming home of the conference. To purchase your pass, click here. 

2024-25 CW Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll: Team / Points (First-place votes)

Team – Points (First-place votes)

1. Manitoba Bisons – 162 (9)
2. Alberta Pandas – 151 (2)
3. UBC Thunderbirds – 150 (3)
4. Trinity Western Spartans – 130
5. Thompson Rivers WolfPack – 120
6. Fraser Valley Cascades – 110
7. UBC Okanagan Heat – 100
8. Winnipeg Wesmen – 76
9. Mount Royal Cougars – 66
10. Calgary Dinos – 62
11. Saskatchewan Huskies – 54
12. MacEwan Griffins – 54
13. Regina Cougars – 21
14. Brandon Bobcats – 18
 

2023-24 CW Regular Season Record:

8-16

2023-24 CW Regular Season Division Placement:

12th overall

2024-25 Season Opener

Friday, Oct. 25 vs University of the Fraser Valley Cascades at 8 p.m.

2024-25 Home Opener

Friday, Oct. 25 vs University of the Fraser Valley Cascades at 5 p.m.

Head Coach / # season / Career CW reg. season record:

Rhonda Schmuland / 1st season / 0-0

2023-24 CW regular season ranks: Offence

1st in Sets (95)

4th in Kills (1061)

9th in Kills per Set (11.17)

1st in Errors (553)

7th in Total Attacks (2761)

9th in Hitting Percentage (18.4%)

6th in Assists (959)

9th in Assists per Set (10.09)

4th in Service Aces (178)

5th in Service Errors (261)

9th in Service Aces per Set (1.87)

1st in Receptions (1743)

2nd in Reception Errors (206)

11th in Digs (1031)

14th in Digs per Set (10.85)

5th in Block Solo (46)

6th in Block Assist (290)

4th in Block Total (191)

7th in Blocks per Set (2.01)

5th in Block Errors (14)

7th in Ball Handling Errors (9)

5th in Points (1430.0)

8th in Points per Set (15.1)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Sets played (Returning)

Emma Boyd – 95

2023-24 regular season leaders: Matches played (Returning)

Emma Boyd/Lexi Herrod/Fiona Brown/Bronwynn Davies-Neira – 24

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Kills (per set) (Returning)

Emma Boyd – 217 (2.28)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Total attacks (kill percentage) (Returning)

Bronwynn Davies-Neira – 539 (12.2%)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Assists (per set) (Returning)

Lexi Herrod – 690 (7.93)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Serve aces (per set) (Returning)

Emma Boyd – 36

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Serve receptions (Returning)

Sydney Scatcherd – 21

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Digs (per set) (Returning)

Lexi Herrod – 172 (1.98)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Solo blocks (Returning)

Mya Morgan – 13

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Block assists (Returning)

Mya Morgan – 69

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Total blocks (per set) (Returning)

Mya Morgan – 82 (0.93)

2023-24 CW regular season leaders: Points (per set) (Returning)

Emma Boyd – 293 (3.1)

Key additions (name / position / eligibility / hometown / last team)

Taryn Sieben / Outside Hitter / First Year / Cochrane, AB / Business

Awien Ngor / Outside Hitter / First Year /Calgary, AB / Science

Raven Ogbodu / Middle Blocker / First Year / Edmonton, AB / Phys Ed

Grace Coulter / Outside Hitter / Third Year / Calgary, AB / Arts

Key Departures (name / position / hometown / years with program)

Jessica Osczevski / Outside Hitter / Rocky Mountain House, AB / Five Years

Sarah McKillican / Setter / Comox, BC / Five Years
 

Key performer: Emma Boyd

Emma Boyd is one of the most lethal middles in the country. Standing at a daunting 6’2″, no shot is safe around the fourth-year arts student, who scored a team-leading 217 kills last season, an average of 2.28 kills per set. Her calling card came on the defensive side of the net, blocking 71 attacks, nine of which were solo rejections, for an average of 0.75 blocks per set.

Boyd’s double-sided impact on the game makes her a superstar on this Cougars team. Not only is she a stalwart on defense, but also scores at an extremely high rate and efficiency rate. With 293 points last year, an average of 3.1 points per set, Boyd only made errors on 18.4% of her total attacks and earned a kill rate of 27%

Entering her fourth year of U SPORTS eligibility, Boyd will be responsible for helping lead this young, burgeoning Cougars roster to the playoffs, which MRU failed to qualify for last year.  With other tall blockers and hitters next to her, like middle blocker Mya Morgan and outside hitter Bronwynn Davies-Neira, and the brilliant setting of Lexi Herrod, Boyd and the Cougars are primed to be a powerful force in Canada West this season.

Season Preview:

Even though the women’s volleyball team roster is largely the same as last year’s squad, the Cougars are being led by a new head coach, Rhonda Schmuland, whose resume as a former ACAC head coach and professional player in France brings elevated expectations to the team. 

Plus, with last year’s team leader Jessica Osczevski and other key contributors graduating, third- and fourth-year players are stepping into veteran roles for the first time in their U SPORTS career and helping enforce newer, more positive culture and habits for the group.

The team hopes to undergo a transformation in their culture and work ethic in order to make the playoffs this season, something they were unable to do last year. With new head coach Rhonda Schmuland at the helm, the changes have been drastic but positive, injecting new energy into this squad before the season even begins. 

Last year, the Cougars played the most sets of any team in the conference, consistently finding themselves locked into tight, five-set matchups. The team’s best strategy is to lead their opposition into deep waters, fighting late in matches and proving that their conditioning and game preparation is the best in Canada West.

With long, close games almost guaranteed and a revitalized energy, the Cougars women’s volleyball team are giving fans great reasons to come out to games. After posting the 12th best average home attendance numbers last year, the Cougars want fans to know that every game this season will be well worth attending.