OUA ANNOUNCES 2012-13 MEN'S VOLLEYBALL MAJOR AWARDS AND ALL-STARS
HAMILTON, Ont. - The first-place McMaster Marauders lead the way with eight nods, while the player of the year wears the purple of the Western Mustangs as Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is proud to announce men’s volley all-stars and major award winners, sponsored by Mikasa Sports.
This year’s Player of the Year is Garrett May (Scarborough, Ont.), a left-side player for the Western Mustangs. In his third year, May led the OUA in kills (288), kills per set (4.57), points (324) and points per set (5.15). His per set totals in kills and points rank him atop the CIS. The member of the Canadian national beach volleyball program becomes the second Mustang to take home the award, and he has also been named a first team all-star.
McMaster’s first-year sensation Dany Demyanenko (Toronto) takes home the Rookie of the Year award, marking the second year in a row that a Marauder takes home the honour. A member of the 2012 Canadian National Junior Team, Demyanenko has used his international experience to light up OUA competition, notching 2.61 kills per set and 3.46 points per set in his rookie campaign. The six-foot-five middle was also named a first team all-star and a member of the all-rookie team.
For the first time in school history the Waterloo Warriors have claimed Libero of the Year. Erich Woolley (New Dundee, Ont.) earns the nod for the 2012-13 season after collecting 190 digs on the season, at a rate of 2.97 per set. The second-year libero led the OUA in both categories, and his per set total for digs was second in the CIS.
Fifth-year Queen’s setter Jackson Dakin (Courtenay, B.C.) was named the Dale Iwanoczko Award winner for 2012-13, becoming the first Queen’s Gael to be given the honour since 2001-02. Dakin will now be the OUA nominee for the CIS Outstanding student-athlete award for his dedication to volleyball, academics and community involvement. In addition to his efforts off the court, Dakin earned first team-all star status by guiding the Gaels to an 11-7 regular season, collecting 550 assists and 116 digs in the process.
Rounding out the major awards is this year’s Coach of the Year Dave Preston, of the McMaster Marauders. The award is the second in the career of Preston, after winning both the OUA and CIS Coach of the Year following the 2007-08 season. Preston guided the McMaster Marauders to a 17-1 regular season record and the No. 2 ranking in the CIS. Three of Preston’s players were named OUA all-stars this year, and the Marauders also placed three players on the all-rookie squad.
Joining May, Demyenenko and Dakin on the first team are a single returning all-star from a year ago and three newcomers. Kyle Williamson (Essex, Ont.) of the Windsor Lancers earns his third straight appearance on the first team. Williamson ended the season fifth in kills with 219 and fourth in total points with 250 in leading a young Lancers squad to a 5-13 record.
The three fresh faces on the first team are McMaster’s Austin Campion-Smith, Ray Szeto of the York Lions and Waterloo’s Zach Doherty. In his third-year, Campion-Smith (Bowmanville, Ont.) grew into one of the most reliable setters in the OUA. After being named to the all-rookie team two seasons ago, Campion-Smith put up remarkable numbers this year, averaging 10.23 assists per set on the year, good enough for third in the OUA.
Szeto (Sutton, Ont.) was also named to the all-rookie squad two years ago, and finds himself with his first OUA all-star nod this year. Szeto was a force as an outside hitter, leading the Lions to 10-8 regular season record, finishing second in the OUA in both total kills (248) and points per set (4.41).
Doherty (Goderich, Ont.) used his well-rounded game to help the Waterloo Warriors to a 14-4 record and second place in the OUA. The second-year outside hitter was among the tops in Ontario in every offensive category, collecting 172 kills and 212 points on the season.
Demonstrating the depth of OUA volleyball talent, the seven Second Team All-Stars represent seven different schools.
Becoming an all-star for the fourth time is Guelph’s Winston Rosser (Whitby, Ont.). After earning first team status the past two years and a second team nod in 2009-10, Rosser’s 3.46 kills per set and 286 total points sees the fifth-year veteran land on the second team once again.
Joining Rosser on the Second Team is Waterloo’s Jordan Dyck. The St. Catharines, Ont. native had a break-out season in his third year, finishing second in the OUA in blocks (51), and 11th in points (205).
Western setter Sean McKay (Sudbury, Ont.) lands on the second team after leading the league with 10.34 assists per set. The award is the first in the career of the fourth-year veteran.
Luka Milosevic (Toronto) is the only member of the Ryerson Rams to gain all-star status this season. The fifth-year middle collected 143 kills and 32 blocks on the season, leading the Rams to their first post-season appearance since the 2007-08 season.
York’s master of defence Felipe Humana-Paredes (Toronto) is also a 2012-13 second team all-star. The fifth-year middle led the OUA in blocks with 59.5, eight better than the next closest player.
Alex Elliot becomes the only McMaster Marauder on the second team. After being named OUA rookie of the year and to the all-rookie Team last season, the Cobourg, Ont. native produced 2.98 points per set in his sophomore season for the first-place Marauders.
Rounding out the second team all-stars is Toronto right side Mitchell Woodside. Woodside (Clyde River, P.E.I.) was ninth in the OUA in scoring at 3.53 points per set, which led the Varsity Blues. The honour is the first OUA post-season award for the fifth-year veteran.
Joining Demyenenko on the All-Rookie Team are a pair of McMaster teammates, Jayson McCarthy and Stephen Maar, along with Guelph Gryphon teammates Tim Warnholtz and Kyle Richards, Ivo Dramov from Queen’s and Waterloo’s Sergey Grabovsky.
McCarthy, a six-foot-nine leftside from Oshawa, Ont., had a stellar rookie campaign for McMaster collecting 3.26 points per set for the Marauders.
Maar (Aurora, Ont.) was equally as good for McMaster, racking up 3.07 points per set and 2.44 kills per set for the high-powered Marauder offence.
Kyle Richards provided a youthful boost for the Guelph Gryphons from the setter’s spot. Richards (London, Ont.) saw 41 sets worth of action, where he collected 6.02 assists per set placing him tenth in the OUA. Richards had the luxury of setting teammate Tim Warnholtz (Guelph, Ont.) all season. Warnholtz collected 134 kills in his rookie campaign, many of which from the hands of Richards.
In his first OUA season Ivo Dramov (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) has demonstrated he has the ability to become one of the elite liberos in Ontario. Dramov finished the season with 2.67 digs per set, placing him second in the OUA.
The lone Waterloo Warrior on the all-Rookie team is Sergey Grabovsky. The Aurora, Ont. native had a strong showing in his first year, amassing 2.95 points per set for a deep Warriors squad.
The players will be honoured during the opening night of the OUA Men’s Volleyball Final Four, being hosted by McMaster University at the Burridge Gymnasium on February 22-23. The Final Four opens with Waterloo taking on Western at 5:30 p.m. in the first semi, then the McMaster Marauders battle the York Lions beginning at 8 p.m. The awards presentations will take place between the semifinal games.
OUA Player of the Year
Garrett May - Western
OUA Rookie of the Year
Danny Demyanenko - McMaster
OUA Libero of the Year
Erich Woolley - Waterloo
Dale Iwanoczko Award
Jackson Dakin - Queen's
OUA Coach of the Year
Dave Preston - McMaster
OUA First Team All-Stars
Garrett May - Western
Ray Szeto - York
Danny Demyanenko - McMaster
Austin Campion-Smith - McMaster
Jackson Dakin - Queen's
Zach Doherty - Waterloo
Kyle Williamson - Windsor
OUA Second Team All-Stars
Winston Rosser - Guelph
Jordan Dyck - Waterloo
Sean McKay - Western
Luka Milosevic - Ryerson
Felipe Humana-Paredes - York
Alex Elliot - McMaster
Mitchell Woodside - Toronto
OUA All-Rookie Team
Danny Demyanenko - McMaster
Tim Warnholtz - Guelph
Jayson McCarthy - McMaster
Stephen Maar - McMaster
Ivo Dramov - Queen's
Kyle Richards - Guelph
Sergey Grabovsky - Waterloo
