CW BioSteel Players of the Week: March 10

March 10, 2026 - The Canada West season reached its climax last weekend, as conference champions were crowned in volleyball, hockey, and rugby sevens.

A pair of teams successfully defended their titles, with the Alberta Pandas women’s volleyball and Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey programs capturing back-to-back championships. Trinity Western claimed its first men’s volleyball crown since 2022, while the UBC Thunderbirds got back on top in women’s hockey, winning their fourth conference title in five seasons.

UBC also continued its dominance in rugby sevens, finishing off an impressive 14-1 campaign to secure a fourth consecutive conference banner.

On the national stage, Canada West student-athletes made their mark at the U SPORTS Final 8 and Track and Field Championships. The Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team captured their second straight national title with a 77-68 victory over UNB in the championship final. The Huskies were led by a standout performance from Ella Murphy Wiebe, who was named tournament MVP after recording double-doubles in both the semifinal and championship game. The Calgary Dinos women and Victoria Vikes men also reached the podium, earning bronze medals.

CW athletes also delivered a strong showing at the 2026 U SPORTS Track and Field Championships. The Saskatchewan Huskies women and Alberta Golden Bears men each earned team silver, while Calgary’s Sienna MacDonald and Alberta’s Ryder Rattee were named Athletes of the Meet. Multiple CW athletes also set new U SPORTS records, including MacDonald in the long jump, Rattee in the 300m, Lethbridge’s Jinaye Shomachuk in the weight throw, and Saskatchewan’s 4x200m relay team.

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

Women's Basketball - Ella Murphy Wiebe (Saskatchewan Huskies)

Final 8 Quarter-final: 16 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 7-13 FG in 71-55 win vs UBC

Final 8 Semifinal: 26 pts, 16 reb, 1 blk, 8-14 FG, 10-14 FT in 55-43 win vs Laval

Final 8 Championship: 13 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk, 5-8 FG in 77-68 win vs UNB

Ella Murphy Wiebe put together a tournament to remember at the 2026 U SPORTS Final 8. Leading Saskatchewan to their fourth national title in program history and second consecutive championship, the fifth-year forward was named tournament MVP after a remarkable performance which saw her total 55 points and 34 rebounds while shooting 62.9% from the field.

After a strong 16-point, 8-rebound performance in the Huskies' opening game against UBC, the Engineering major took over in a semifinal win over Laval. Recording a 26-point, 16-rebound double-double, she set single-game career highs in both points and rebounds.

In the title game she was once again a pivotal piece at both ends of the court, recording a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double while adding two blocks and two assists.

She becomes the fourth tournament MVP in program history, joining Gage Grassick (2025), Sabine Dukate (2020) and Dalyce Emmerson (2016).

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

Men's Basketball - Shadynn Smid (Victoria Vikes)

Final 8 Quarter-final: 16 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 6-7 FG in 100-86 win vs CGY

Final 8 Semifinal: 6 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast in 66-65 loss vs Bishop's

Final 8 Bronze Medal: 19 pts, 8 reb, 8-12 FG in 85-81 win vs TMU

Shadynn Smid put on a stellar weekend of play as he led the Victoria Vikes to a U SPORTS bronze medal. Smid was an interior force, playing his trademark physical brand of basketball while scoring at all levels. He opened the tournament with 16 points against Calgary, the delivered a 19-point performance in the bronze medal game while being a difference maker defensively in shutting down TMU's hot shooting. The fourth-year forward also dominated on the glass, grabbing eight rebounds in two of the three games.

View Men's Basketball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Hockey - Elise Hugens (UBC Thunderbirds)

CW Final vs Manitoba

March 6: Win, 12 saves, .923 save % in a 5-1 Game 1 win

March 7: Win, shutout, 17 saves in 1-0 Game 2 win

Named the Canada West Championship MVP, Elise Hugens picked up where she left off in last week's semifinal, allowing just a single goal against in UBC's two-game sweep over the Bisons to capture the program's seventh conference banner and fourth in the last five years.

Capping off the championship with a 17-save shutout, Hugens completed the Canada West playoffs with a perfect 4-0 record, a 0.50 GAA and a sparkling .971 save percentage.

View Women's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Hockey - Nolan Maier (Saskatchewan Huskies)

CW Final at Mount Royal

March 6 at MRU: 33 saves in 5-0 shutout Game 1 win

March 7 at MRU: 28 saves, 30 shots against in 4-2 Game 2 win

Putting together yet another remarkable series between the pipes, Nolan Maier was named Canada West Finals MVP after leading Saskatchewan to a 13th Canada West title with a series sweep of the MRU Cougars in Calgary.

The former ECHL goaltender opened the Finals series playing over 111 minutes of shutout hockey. After opening with 33-save Game 1 shutout, Maier went nearly two and a half periods without allowing a goal against in Game 2, allowing the Dogs to build a 4-0 lead and close out the series.

In six playoff contests, Maier recorded an outstanding 1.13 goals against average and .962 save percentage, playing a key role in Saskatchewan becoming the first team in Canada West history to go 6-0 on the way to a championship.

View Men's Hockey: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Volleyball - Abby Guezen (Alberta Pandas)

CW Semifinal vs TRU: 14 kills, .242 attack %, 7 digs, 2 blocks, 15.0 points in 3-0 win

CW Final vs TWU: 24 kills, .380 attack %, 26.5 points, 1 ace in 3-1 win

Leading Pandas volleyball to their 13th Canada West title, third-year outside hitter Abby Guezen was sensational on home court this weekend during the Final Four.

Guezen recorded 38 kills over seven sets of volleyball, which included a semifinal win over TRU, and a four-set win over Trinity Western as the Pandas won their second straight CW title at home.

The Sherwood Park product scored a team-high 14 kills in the Pandas 3-0 win over the WolfPack on Friday, adding 17 digs and two total blocks. She was even better in the CW Final against the Spartans, leading the match with 24 kills, including the clinching kill on championship point.

Next up for the Pandas is the 2026 U SPORTS Championship in Langley, which they enter as the No. 1 seed.

View Women's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Men's Volleyball - Anselm Rein (Trinity Western Spartans)

CW Semifinal vs ALB: 33 assists, 2 aces, 2 kills, 3 digs, 2 blocks in 3-0 win

CW Final vs MAN: 46 assists, 2 aces, 1 kill, 5 digs, 1 block in 3-1 win

Anselm Rein helped Trinity Western capture the Canada West championship with a dominant performance from the setting position, averaging 11.3 assists per set while guiding the Spartans to a .346 hitting percentage over the Final Four.

Rein, who is a Canada West First Team All-Star, also had three kills, three blocks and eight digs himself in an impressive seven-set showing from the German setter, as he led TWU to its eighth conference title in program history.

View Men's Volleyball: Standings | Schedule | Leaders

Women's Rugby 7s - Olivia Newsome (Victoria Vikes)

Tournament #3 at UBC - 4 tries, 1 convert

Olivia Newsome was one of the key contributors for the Victoria Vikes as they swept the third leg of the Canada West 7s series with an impressive 5-0 tournament.

Newsome was an offensive threat in each and every game. Saving her best for a clash with the eventual champion UBC Thunderbirds, Newsome scored the Vikes' first two tries while leading her team to a 26-5 win.

Women's Track and Field - Sienna MacDonald (Calgary Dinos)

Named U SPORTS Women's Athlete of the Meet

It was a fitting end to a remarkable career for Sienna MacDonald, being named the U SPORTS Women's Athlete of the Meet for the second time in her career.

The Airdrie, Alta., product brought home three more U SPORTS medals at this year's national meet, with a pair of records to boot.

MacDonald broke her own U SPORTS record in long jump, extending the previous mark of 6.25m to 6.36m to bring home her sixth national gold medal of her career. She also claimed silver in the 60m hurdles and bronze in the 60m.

To close out her time in a Dinos uniform, MacDonald ran in her first ever relay and helped Calgary's 4x200m relay squad break a program record by nearly a full second, finishing fourth overall as a team.

Men's Track and Field - Ryder Rattee (Alberta Golden Bears)

Named U SPORTS Men's Athlete of the Meet

Putting forth an incredible triple-gold performance, sophomore sprinter Ryder Rattee put his name all over the record books in Winnipeg at the 2026 U SPORTS Championships.

Rattee won both the 300m and 600m, before anchoring the Golden Bears 4x400m relay team to another gold medal. His performance in the 300m was breathtaking, as he set a new U SPORTS record with a winning time of 32.75 seconds, breaking the previous record of 32.89 seconds set by former Bear Austin Cole.

He was just as dominant in the 600m, winning by nearly two full seconds, and setting a new Golden Bears record with a time of 1:16.75.

Rattee somehow raised the bar yet again, helping the Bears win their third-straight 4x400m national title. Leading narrowly after three runners, Rattee obliterated the field in the final leg, as the Bears won the relay by an astonishing three seconds, while also shattering the previous team record in the event.

For his sensational championship, Rattee was also named the U SPORTS Athlete of the Meet.

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.