The OUA defending champion University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's volleyball team opens their title defence this Friday, October 23 when they travel to Guelph to take on the Gryphons.

Game time is set for 6 p.m. The match will also be streamed live on OUA.tv.

The No. 6 nationally ranked Varsity Blues are on the road for the first two weeks of regular season action, heading to Kingston, Oct. 30-31, to take on the RMC Paladins and Queen's Gaels. The Blues home opener is slated for Sunday, November 8 when they host the Ryerson Rams at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport

The Blues will also welcome members of the volleyball community that day, hosting their 2nd annual OVA (Ontario Volleyball Association) day! OVA athletes wearing their team jerseys will receive free admission for them and a guest. To request passes, please click here.



Despite the loss of veteran all-stars Charlotte Sider and Jennifer Neilson, the Varsity Blues boast an eclectic mix of veteran leadership and rookie raw talent.

Fifth-year veterans Denise Wooding and Bojana Radan have been named co-captains of the 2015-16 squad. Wooding was named the 2015 OUA libero of the year after ranking second in the province with 4.73 digs per set last season.

Radan, a middle from Windsor, Ont., garnered her first OUA all-star nod last season after leading the Blues with 64 blocks. Radan will also count on third-year standout Tessa Davis, who was a member of the 2013-14 CIS all-rookie team, to continue to improve her play and find even more ways to score points in the middle.  

Wooding, along with sophomore Anna Feore and third-year libero Asli Ersozoglu, have had an impressive passing and defensive game in the pre-season. Feore garnered tournament MVP honours as the Blues won the University of Winnipeg Invitational two weeks ago.

Toronto's net play on the outside will be strong this season, thanks to fourth-year veteran Caleigh Cruickshank, who ranked third on the team with 3.2 points per set last season, along with rookie Olivia van Baaren, a 6-foot-0 leftside from the Ottawa Mavericks.

Toronto also looks to rookie Alina Dormann to make an impact this season. Dormann, a 6-foot-1 right side, also from the Ottawa Mavericks, was a member of the Canadian junior national team in 2015.

Leading the offence once again this year will be fourth-year setter Madelyn Mandryk. The Lockport, Man., native was named an OUA East second team all-star after leading the CIS with 10.19 assists per set last season. She was also honoured with the R.W.Pugh Fair Play award at the CIS championship.

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