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U SPORTS announces women’s curling roster
November 5, 2024

U SPORTS announces women’s curling roster

U SPORTS is proud to announce that the University of Alberta Pandas women’s curling team will represent Canada at the 2025 FISU World Winter University Games, which will be held in Torino, Italy this January. The Pandas secured their qualification with a win at the 2024 U SPORTS National Championship, their third consecutive title.

This is the third time the Pandas will don Canada’s colours on the international stage, after their participation at the FISU World Winter University Games in 2023 in Lake Placid, and in 2019 in Russia, where they placed 7th and 5th respectively. This year, the team is determined to surpass those results with a talented and experienced roster, ready to take on the best university programs in the world. 

“I am incredibly excited and proud to represent Canada once again! It is an honor to wear the maple leaf alongside my teammates and coaching staff. This team has worked hard over the last 12 months, and I am confident that we will perform well,” said captain Serena Gray-Withers.

Veteran and emerging talent at play

The Pandas are counting on a number of athletes with experience on the international stage. 

At the helm is captain Serena Gray-Withers (skip), a two-time U SPORTS champion (2023, 2024) and Curling Canada U25 NextGen Classic winner (2022, 2023). Serena last represented Canada at the 2023 FISU Games.

Catherine Clifford (Third), also a two-time U SPORTS champion (2023, 2024) and Curling Canada U25 NextGen Classic winner (2022, 2023), has two Canada West championships under her belt as well (2020 and 2024).

Brianna Cullen (Second), holds the same titles as her teammates with two U SPORTS championships (2023, 2024), two wins at the Curling Canada U25 NextGen Classic (2022, 2023) and a 2024 Canada West championship.

Finally, Zoe Cinnamon (Lead), who also holds two U SPORTS championship titles (2023, 2024), was named University of Alberta’s female rookie of the year in 2023.  

“It was an honour to represent Canada as an alternate at the 2023 FISU Winter Games. Experiencing the world stage as an athlete will help me settle quickly in Turin this winter. Playing for Canada is a special feeling, and understanding the pressure and expectations that come with it will allow me to perform with confidence,” Serena Gray-Withers added. 

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The 2025 Winter University Games women’s curling tournament will bring together 10 teams to compete in the group phase. The four best teams will advance to the finals in hopes of securing a medal.

The tournament will be held in Torino - PalaTazzoli from January 13-23, 2025, with the final round set to take place on January 22 and 23. 

Here are the countries competing in the women’s tournament:

  • Canada (CAN)
  • China (CHN)
  • Great Britain (GBR)
  • Italy (ITA)
  • South Korea (KOR)
  • Norway (NOR)
  • Poland (POL)
  • Switzerland (SUI)
  • Sweden (SWE)
  • United States (USA)