BUILDING A DREAM, 8,000 KILOMETRES FROM HOME

Munkh-Orgil Tserenjamts' journey to varsity volleyball spans more than 8,000 kilometres and two very different worlds.

Now a computer science student and member of the Varsity Blues men's volleyball team at the University of Toronto, Tserenjamts didn't grow up in Canada's club or prep systems. Instead, his path began with a simple routine back home.

"I grew up in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia," he said. "My daily routine was simple - school, practice, home, repeat."

Some of his favourite memories, though, weren't in the city.

"Every year, my family and I would travel together to Mongolia's beautiful countryside," he said. "We would camp wherever we wanted, setting up tents and staying close to nature. During those trips, I spent my days freely playing on the open steppe and riding horses. Those experiences gave me a strong sense of independence and freedom."

(Munkh-Orgil Tserenjamts, left, with his father and brother in the countryside of Mongolia)

Like many families in Mongolia, his parents worked multiple jobs to create stability, but never compromised on education.

"My dad helped me with everything, especially my hardest math and physics homework, and drove me to practices almost every day," he said. "My mom raised me with unconditional love and care."

That balance, discipline and support shaped both the student and the athlete he would become.

And volleyball wasn't even his first sport. Tserenjamts played competitive soccer through middle school, developing speed and explosiveness that later gave him an edge on the court. After joining a youth volleyball academy, and under the guidance of his first coach, Tamiraa, his confidence grew quickly. At his first major national tournament, his team placed fifth out of 85 teams, and he was named a "Rising Athlete."

(From L to R: Munkh-Orgil's brother, mother, coach Tamiraa, father and Munkh-Orgil)

Since then, volleyball has been constant and Tserenjamts credits one moment as the deal breaker.

"At the U18 National Championship, our team went undefeated," he said. "I remember blocking the final ball and running in circles with my teammates celebrating. That moment is frozen in my mind."

Some of his most meaningful lessons came far from any gym. On a trip to his dad's hometown, he rode horseback for hours to a sacred mountain called Noyonii Khuren.

"That was when I first understood what Mongolians call 'hiimori,' a kind of spiritual energy and pride you feel when riding freely in nature," he said. "It's one of the most meaningful experiences of my life."

Leaving home, though, was harder than any climb.

(Tserenjamts, right, with his father in Mongolia | Photo provided by Munkh-Orgil Tserenjamts)

"One of the hardest moments was saying goodbye at the airport," he said. "It was emotionally very heavy."

Arriving in Toronto meant starting from scratch. No one knew his name. No built-in network. Just tryouts and uncertainty.

"I had to figure out how to prove myself from zero," he said. "That was one of the biggest challenges mentally."

First year brought academic shock, too. Balancing varsity training with computer science courses felt overwhelming at first. Naturally introverted, he struggled to ask for help, until he forced himself to change.

"I started opening up more, talking to professors and classmates, and planning my schedule carefully," he said. "Once I became more structured and proactive, everything improved. Coach John Barrett and the Varsity Blues team supported and guided me a lot during that time"

(Tserenjamts celebrates a point at Goldring Centre during the 2025-26 season | Photo by Aru Das)

Today, Tserenjamts carries more than just a student-athlete identity.

"What makes me most proud is becoming, as far as I know, one of the first Mongolian athletes to play varsity-level sport in Canada," he said. "I hope my journey can inspire other young athletes back home to believe this path is possible for them too. I'm especially proud and grateful for my parents, who have always supported me and stood behind me throughout this entire journey."

From the streets of Ulaanbaatar to the Blue and White, his routine hasn't changed much.

School. Practice. Home. Repeat.

Only now, the dream is bigger, and an entire country travels with him every time he steps on the court.

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