The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's volleyball team begin the 2026-27 OUA regular season this week with plenty of motivation as the University of Toronto will serve as host for the 2027 U SPORTS Women's Volleyball National Championship come March.

Knowing they will have a spot at the national championship, U of T aim to prove they belong. Last season, Toronto finished in seventh-place in the OUA with an 11-9 (W-L) regular season record. Qualifying for the postseason, the Blues saw their 2025-26 campaign come to a close at the quarter-final round. Learning from the experience gained, U of T will lean on a large returning group of veterans that includes Canadian U23 national team captain Delaney Watson and OUA all-stars Olivia Zhu and Julia Liu. Combined with emerging talent like 2026 OUA Rookie of the Year and U SPORTS all-rookie setter Marina Gustke, the Blues have a nucleus built to make a postseason run this time around.
 
FROM THE COACH'S DESK:
"It's a joy to walk into the gym with this team every day. We're not starting from scratch, and that's a gift. We're fortunate to have so many returning from last season, and this makes our routines, connections and our purpose much stronger at this point. We enjoy working hard and embracing challenges and I'm eager to see where it takes us. Hosting nationals is a bonus and a great opportunity for our program and our university, but what excites us most is the journey together, one rep and one moment at a time."

• Kristine Drakich, University of Toronto women's volleyball head coach

PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Key Returnees:  Delaney Watson (LIB), Olivia Zhu (OH), Julia Liu (OH), Giulia Chimilovski (OH), Thea Zeismann (M)
Joining the Team:  Agata Colombo (OH), Elizabeth Soboleva (M)
 
LAST SEASON'S LEADERS:
KILLS: Julia Liu | 20 MP, 249 Kills
ACES: Thea Zeismann | 20 MP, 30 Aces
BLOCKS:  Thea Zeismann | 20 MP, 48 Blocks
DIGS: Delaney Watson | 20 MP, 256 Digs
ASSISTS: Marina Gustke | 20 MP, 576 Assists

FROM THE COURT:
"We are very excited for the season and feeling proud to be hosting the national championship at our very own Goldring Centre. With the core team returning, we feel strongly connected to each other and are optimistic about building on our growth from last season. We are leaning into our values of belief, integrity, and joy to guide us through our training and competitions. While our goal is to win a national championship, we are committed to focusing our energy on the daily work, standards, and habits required to do that." 
 
MARQUEE GAMES:
Oct. 30/31 vs RMC
Opening weekend for the new season, the Blues will be looking to get off to a good start with back-to-back home contests versus the visiting Paladins. With four straight home games to begin the 2026-27 campaign, Toronto hope to enjoy playing in Goldring Centre deep into the season. Currently on a 25-match win streak against RMC, adding two more wins on opening weekend will go a long way in helping establish that home court presence.
 
Jan. 15/16 vs York
Cross-town rivals, the Blues and Lions will met yet again to start 2027 inside Goldring Centre. A later start to the second half of the OUA season than usual, Toronto will be hoping to have shaken off any rust during a stretch of early-January exhibition matches. The Blues have long trips to North Bay, Windsor, and Kingston on the docket for the winter semester so this home doubleheader will aim to energize the squad for the second half push.
 
Feb. 19/20 vs Queen's
Always a tough matchup, U of T will end the season on the road in Kingston against the Gaels. The two squads have gone back-and-forth in their results with the Blues holding a slight 18-17 advantage dating back to 2008. However, Queen's have won six of the last seven when played on their home court so the late season road wins might be crucial in establishing confidence for either side ahead of the OUA playoffs.
 
 GET YOUR TICKETS
Game tickets can be purchased at varsityblues.ca/tickets. Entry is FREE for U of T students with a valid T-Card.

All Varsity Blues volleyball games will also be streamed live and on-demand via oua.tv.