CW BioSteel Players of the Week: Jan. 13

Jan. 13, 2026 - After a lengthy holiday break, Canada West action returned in full force last weekend, with teams across the conference delivering statement performances as the 2026 portion of the schedule got underway.

A pair of Manitoba Bisons women's volleyball players made program history during a weekend sweep of the MRU Cougars, as Eve Catojo and Raya Surinx both etched their names into the Bisons record books. Catojo became the Bisons’ all-time regular-season blocks leader after reaching the 300-block milestone, while Surinx’s 150th career ace set a new program record for regular-season aces.

In women’s basketball, the spotlight fell on a pair of high-profile undefeated matchups in the Prairie Division. Saskatchewan, Alberta, Calgary, and Regina all entered the weekend with perfect 10-0 records, but it was the Huskies and Cougars who emerged with weekend sweeps in tightly contested battles, keeping their undefeated seasons intact.

On the ice, MacEwan's Kadyn Chabot continued his standout season by setting a new program record for most goals by a Griffin in a single Canada West campaign. Chabot powered the Griffins to a sweep of Trinity Western, leaving MacEwan just two points from clinching a playoff spot. With eight games remaining, he also sits just one point back of setting a new program record for points in a season.

Speaking of sweeps in men’s hockey, Mount Royal made a statement by taking both games from previously top-ranked UBC. The Cougars now move into the No. 1 position in the latest U SPORTS rankings, with the top four teams in the nation all hailing from Canada West. Calgary sits second, followed by Saskatchewan in third and UBC in fourth.

Another big weekend of Canada West action awaits, including the 2026 Canada West Curling Championships beginning Thursday in Edmonton.

Let's get to our BioSteel Players of the Week.

Women's Hockey - Jess Martens (Calgary Dinos)

Jan. 9 vs REG: 2 goals in 2-1 win

Jan. 10 vs REG: 2 goals, 1 assist in 8-4 win

It was an incredible start to the new year for Dinos' fifth-year forward Jess Martens. The Rockyview County, Alta. product helped lead her hometown team to a sweep of Regina with a career-high five-point weekend, scoring two goals in each win.

In Friday's opener, Martens opened the scoring in the first period before netting the game winner with under ten minutes to go in the third to help the Dinos secure a 2-1 win. That marked the first two-goal game of the veteran's career.

Martens' hot hand carried into the next day as she once again got the party started with a short-handed goal just over seven minutes in. The lefty would go on to assist the game-winner and once again closed out the scoring on some impressive stick work in a wild goal-fest of a game that saw the Dinos win 8-4.

The four goals and five points on the weekend are extra impressive considering Martens came in with just two goals on the year and seven in her career.

View Women's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Hockey - Kadyn Chabot (MacEwan Griffins)

Jan. 9 vs TWU: 1 goal, 2 assists, 5 shots, +2, 2 PIM in 7-4 win

Jan. 10 vs TWU: 2 goals, 4 shots, +2, 14 PIM in 6-3 win

With a five-point weekend, Chabot led the Griffins to a weekend sweep over the Trinity Western Spartans that moves them past Alberta into second place in the West Division and just two points away from clinching a playoff spot.

Individually, Chabot broke Ethan Strang's program record for the most goals by a Griffin in a Canada West season and is now just one point back of Strang's program mark for points with eight games to go.

Chabot is also just one back of the goal-scoring lead in Canada West, currently sitting with 15 goals and 26 points in 20 games so far this season.

View Men's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Volleyball - Kylee Glanville (UBC Thunderbirds)

Jan. 9 at SSK: 15 kills, .364 hitting, 2 aces, 11 digs, 21 points in 3-1 win

Jan. 10 at SSK: 22 kills, .333 hitting, 1 ace, 14 digs, 24.5 points in 3-2 loss

As the Thunderbirds faced a tough road test to begin 2026, Kylee Glanville was up to the task, leading UBC with a combined 37 kills on the strength of a .346 hitting percentage to help the blue and gold earn a split in Saskatoon.

The fourth-year from Okotoks, Alta. produced a career-high 22 kills Saturday. She sits second in team kills and now leads the squad with 21 service aces on the season.

View Women's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Volleyball - Mason Greves (UBC Thunderbirds)

Jan. 9 at SSK: 36 assists, 1 ace, 10 digs, 4 kills, .429 hitting % in 3-1 win

Jan. 10 at SSK: 37 assists, 1 ace, 9 digs, 3 kills, .333 hitting % in 3-0 win

Mason Greves was in fine form, leading the Thunderbirds with a combined 19 digs along with 73 assists including an errorless setting performance Saturday as UBC swept the Huskies in Saskatoon to open 2026.

The two-time All-Canadian setter also added a pair of service aces and seven kills. Greves currently sits second in Canada West digs-per-set with 2.27 and leads the conference with 10.33 assists-per-set.

View Men's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Basketball - Julia Tuchscherer (Fraser Valley Cascades)

Jan. 9 at VIC: 27 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK, .500 FG%, 27 min in 73-57 win

Jan. 10 at VIC: 25 PTS, 13 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK, 0.600 FG%, 40 min in 68-60 win

Julia Tuchscherer showed once again this week why she is one of the most impactful players in Canada West. The Cascades forward scored a combined 52 points, leading all scorers on both nights while adding 21 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks, as UFV powered to a road sweep of the Victoria Vikes.

Both performances helped continue her strong season at both ends of the court where she ranks among the conference leaders in points per game (4th), rebounds per game (3rd), and blocks (2nd).

View Women's Basketball: Standings | ​ Schedule | Leaders

Men's Basketball - Jalen Shirley (UBCO Heat)

Jan. 9 at TRU: 16 PTS, 6-12 FG (50%), 6 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL in 95-72 loss

Jan. 10 at TRU: 43 PTS, 15-18 FG (83.3%), 5-7 3FG (71.4%), 1 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL in 86-82 loss

Jalen Shirley had a weekend to remember for the Heat as they battled their Interior BC rivals, the Thompson Rivers WolfPack, in Kamloops.

After opening the weekend with a balanced performance at both ends of the court, Shirley went off on Saturday night for the best scoring performance in UBCO history. The fifth-year guard was unstoppable, scoring 43 points while shooting 83.3 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from three-point range. Included in those numbers were 21 fourth-quarter points as the Heat nearly rallied for the upset victory over the WolfPack.

His 43 points broke the previous school record of 33 points set back in 2012 and is the second-highest scoring game in the conference and country this season.

After averaging 29.5 points per game this weekend, Shirley is now second in Canada West in scoring, averaging 20 points per game.

View Men's Basketball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Track and Field - Hailee Woodhouse

Sanderson Classic: 1st-place - 300m, 38.47s (Ranks 1st in U SPORTS, U SPORTS Auto Standard, U20 Provincial Record (Sask.), 5th in USask program history)

Rookie sprinter Hailee Woodhouse burst onto the Canada West Track & Field scene this past weekend as the Saskatchewan Huskies hosted the 2026 Sanderson Classic.

The product of Dilke, Saskatchewan ran a blistering 38.47 seconds in the women's 300m, a time that not only secured first place but also set a new U20 Provincial record. In addition, it marked the 5th-fastest time in Huskie program history.

Her performance also saw her set the fastest 300m time this season in all of U SPORTS, earning auto-qualification for the 2026 U SPORTS Championships.

Men's Track and Field - Nathan Pinno (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Sanderson Classic: 1st-place - Shot Put, 16.24m (3rd furthest in U SPORTS, 5th furthest in USask program history, U SPORTS Auto Standard)

U20 Canadian Track & Field Champion Nathan Pinno got his Track & Field season off to a hot start this past weekend at the 2026 Sanderson Classic in Saskatoon.

The sophomore thrower recorded a distance of 16.24m in the men's shot put, setting the third-best distance in U SPORTS thus far and the 5th-best in Huskie program history. Pinno also earned auto-qualification for the 2026 U SPORTS Championships in February.

About Players of the Week:

The Canada West Players of the Week, Presented by BioSteel is a weekly celebration of athletic achievements across the conference. Each week, deserving student-athletes are nominated by SIDs from each member institution. Canada West office staff review nominations and select the recipients.

About BioSteel:

BioSteel is a leading sports hydration and nutrition brand, delivering clean, high-performance solutions trusted by professional athletes, top universities, and teams across North America and Europe, including major organizations like the NHL, MLB, NFL, MLS, NBA, and their affiliates. Alongside hydration, BioSteel offers premium protein and sports nutrition products, catering to athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and those striving for a healthier lifestyle. Committed to excellence, BioSteel equips top athletes and active individuals with the essential tools to reach peak performance and sustain wellness every day.

About Canada West:

As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university level high performance sports programs throughout western Canada.