The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association West Division awards have brought well-deserved recognition to the Redeemer University Royals women's volleyball program, highlighted by Head Coach Kate Grasman.

In just her second year at the helm, Grasman guided the Royals to a 12–4 regular season record, tying the highest winning percentage in program history. Her impact has been felt far beyond the win-loss column. A phenomenal leader, Grasman has intentionally built a culture centered on excellence, character, and faith, discipling her athletes to become tremendous Christian student-athletes both on and off the court.

Grasman becomes just the third Royals women's volleyball coach to earn a Coach of the Year honour. She has also been named a nominee for the CCAA Coach of the Year award, which will be announced at the CCAA National Championships hosted at Providence University College in Otterburne.

On the athlete side, fourth-year middle Joelle Lammers earned OCAA West First Team All-Star honours, the first OCAA all-star recognition of her career. It is a well-deserved milestone for Lammers, who established herself as one of the most efficient and dominant attackers in the conference. She posted a .382 hitting percentage on the season, ranking third in the OCAA, and was a consistent presence at the net on both sides of the ball.

Joining her in the awards column is Kate De Jong, who was named to the OCAA West Second Team, also her first career all-star nod. De Jong was a force on the outside for the Royals, leading the team in both points and kills. Her 183 kills placed her among the OCAA's top attackers and made her one of the most relied-upon offensive weapons in the West Division.

With individual honours secured, the focus now shifts back to team goals. Redeemer enters the OCAA quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, set to face the Seneca Sting, the No. 3 ranked team nationally and the top seed from the East Division. The Royals are no strangers to top-ranked opponents, having defeated the nationally No. 3 ranked St. Clair Saints earlier this semester.

First serve will happen at 6:00 PM in King City, ON at Magna Hall Gymnasium. 

For all things Royals, follow us on Instagram @redeemerroyals.