Women’s Volleyball Battles Through Competitive Nine-Win Season

The Georgian Grizzlies women’s volleyball team finished the 2025-26 season with a 9-7 regular season record, marking a major step forward for the program.

The season marked the women’s volleyball program’s first playoff appearance since the shortened 2021-22 season, which was impacted by COVID-19. It was also the program’s first season finishing above .500 since the 2019-20 season, when the Grizzlies went 11-7.

The Grizzlies opened the season with a four-set win over the George Brown Huskies at home and entered the December break at 6-2. That first-half run included road sweeps against the Fleming Phoenix, St. Lawrence Surge, and Centennial Colts, along with five-set wins both on the road vs the Canadore Panthers and at home on Michele McConney Court against the Algonquin Wolves. After the break, the Grizzlies added wins over the Surge, Colts, and the Phoenix before a difficult closing stretch dropping games against the Huskies, Seneca Sting, and the Wolves. The girls finished the regular season 5-3 at home, 4-4 on the road, and 35-29 in total sets.

The season was led by several standout individual performances and major program milestones. First-year outside hitter Haley Carroll led the Grizzlies’ attack with a team-high 145 kills and 180 points, making an immediate impact in her rookie season.

Ashtyn Smith remained one of the program’s key leaders,anchoring the Grizzlies’ defence while leading the OCAA in both digs and digs per set. Ashtyn finished the season with 260 digs and averaged 4.19 digs per set, while also becoming the Grizzlies’ all-time program leader in career digs with 656 across her Georgian career.

The Grizzlies also saw multiple other athletes climb the program record book. Mackenzie Roy surpassed 1,000 career assists, finishing her career with 1,059 and ranking third all-time in program history. Carina Brooks continued to establish herself among the program’s best in several major categories, ranking fifth all-time in points with 690, fourth in kills with 577, and third in digs with 480.

Ashtyn Smith earned OCAA Women’s Volleyball East Division Second Team All-Star honours, while Haley Carroll and Tasha Bakes were both named to the OCAA East Division All-Rookie Team. Head Coach Danielle Tamm was also recognized as the OCAA Women’s Volleyball East Division Coach of the Year. At the 56th Annual Grizzlies Varsity Awards Banquet, A. Smith was named Team MVP and received the Howard/Belcourt Sportsmanship Award. H. Carroll received Georgian’s SAA Female Rookie of the Year Award, while Brooklyn Smith earned the team’s Coach’s Award.

With their first playoff appearance since 2021-22, their first winning season since 2019-20, multiple athletes moving up the program record book, and major recognition at both the OCAA and Grizzlies banquet levels, the 2025-26 season marked an important step forward for Georgian women’s volleyball. The Grizzlies not only returned to the postseason picture, but also showed the depth, leadership, and young talent needed to keep building the program in the seasons ahead.