CW Announces Players of the Week

Dec. 5, 2023 – Teams from across Canada West entered the final weekend of the fall semester with heavy hearts, following a heartbreaking tragedy earlier in the week involving three student-athletes from the Thompson Rivers University men’s volleyball team.

Throughout the weekend, we observed the entire Canada West family come together to support the TRU community during an incredibly difficult time. A moment of silence was observed before each game across the conference last weekend, with many student-athletes donning orange and black ribbons and TRU WolfPack gear to show support.

We are thankful for the outpouring of love shown to the TRU WolfPack during this difficult time, and our thoughts continue to be with all those impacted by this heartbreaking tragedy. For those who wish to support with a contribution, please consider doing so through the sources provided here.

For the final time in 2023, here are your Canada West Players of the Week.

Women's Basketball - Jaeli Ibbetson (UBCO)

Ibbetson got it done at both ends of the court this past weekend, helping the UBCO Heat climb back to .500 with a 4-4 record after a sweep of the UNBC Timberwolves.

The fourth-year Kelowna, B.C. product scored a team high 18 points in Friday's 82-55 win, completing a double-double with a remarkable 20 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

She then scored a game high 22 points in Saturday's rematch, an 82-46 win. She brought down 15 boards in that game, including three assists and three steals.

You'll find Ibbetson near the top of many CW leaderboards at the semester break, as she leads the conference in rebounds per game (13) and sits fourth in points-per-game (16.5). ​

Men's Basketball - Keivonte Watts (Mount Royal)

Watts was simply electric in two nail-biting road victories over Lethbridge, helping the Cougars claw back to the .500 mark with a 5-5 record entering the semester break.

The fourth-year guard from Utica, Mississippi scored a game high 33 points in a tight 87-84 victory on Friday, also adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal. He then stole the show in an 85-84 win on Saturday, where he dropped a jaw dropping 40 points while going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc and 16-22 from the field.

Watts is third in the conference with 21.3 points per game and is fourth in FG Pct (54.2%).

Women's Hockey - Sydney Mercier (Calgary)

Mercier's four-point weekend lifted Calgary to a pivotal weekend sweep of the Trinity Western Spartans, bringing the Dinos even with TWU in the standings as both teams chase a playoff berth.

The second-year forward from Saskatoon, Sask. helped the Dinos get the weekend series off to a great start with a 4-2 win Friday, tallying an assist. She then found the scoresheet three times in Saturday's identical 4-2 win, scoring a goal and adding two assists.

Mercier is currently tied for sixth in conference scoring with 15 points, tallying five goals and ten assists in 18 games.

Men's Hockey - Connor Bouchard (Mount Royal)

Bouchard's big weekend not only powered the Cougars to an impressive pair of road victories over Saskatchewan - but also boosted him to a sizeable lead at the top of the Canada West scoring leaderboard, too.

All in all it was an eight point weekend for Bouchard, who opened with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win on Friday. He then torched the Huskies for four goals and two assists in a 7-4 victory on Saturday. The wins pushed MRU past Saskatchewan by four points in the CW standings.

Bouchard has scored at a goal-per-game pace so far this season, tickling the twine 16 times in 16 games. He has 35 total points, nine more than teammate Clayton Hanus, who sits second in conference scoring with 26 points.

Women's Volleyball - Raya Surinx (Manitoba)

Surinx continued her hot start to the season while helping the Bisons to a pair of straight-set wins over the UBCO Heat, earning her second Player of the Week nod of the semester.

The second-year Winnipeg product had 14 kills on Friday, hitting .310 while adding three digs and three block assists. She then upped her game again on Saturday, striking for 21 kills and committing just two errors while hitting for an astounding .613 hitting percentage. She also added two service aces along with seven digs.

She continues to lead the conference in kills (195) and kills per set (4.76). The Bisons enter the semester break with a 10-2 record, one of the top marks in the conference.

Men's Volleyball - Isaiah Olfert (Winnipeg)

Olfert earns his second Player of the Week nod of the season after lifting Winnipeg to an important road split with a tough Saskatchewan Huskies side.

The fourth-year Winnipeg product tallied 18 kills with just four errors in a 3-1 loss on Friday, hitting .412 while adding three service aces and six digs. He turned it up another notch to help his team secure a key 3-1 win on Saturday, hitting for a game high 18 kills while committing just one error for a .486 hitting percentage. He again delivered three service aces in that match, adding eight digs.

The Wesmen are 7-5 after a strong first semester, with Olfert leading the way in many categories. He currently ranks fifth in the conference with 172 kills and 3.66 kills per set. His fiery serve has consistently thrown opposing teams off their game, as he's tied for second in the conference with 0.43 service aces per set.