UBC’s Mason Greves named U SPORTS men’s volleyball Player of the Year

UBC Thunderbirds setter Mason Greves has been named U SPORTS men’s volleyball Player of the Year. The announcement was made Wednesday night at the All-Canadian Gala in Windsor, Ont., host of the 2026 Biosteel U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship

Mount Royal outside hitter Kale Orr captured Rookie of the Year honours, while Waterloo middle blocker Fehin Awobodu took home the Dale Iwanoczko Award for Student-Athlete Community Service, and Thunderbirds bench boss Michael Hawkins is the Fox 40 Coach of the Year.  

The 2026 Biosteel U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship begins Friday at the Toldo Lancer Centre and concludes Sunday with the gold medal game at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. Tickets for all 11 games can be purchased at usportstickets.ca and the entire championship will be broadcast live on CBC digital platforms in English and Radio-Canada’s digital platforms in French.  

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mason Greves, UBC

Mason Greves has pulled the strings of the UBC offence since he became the team's starting setter in his second game as a Thunderbird. Now finishing his fifth and final season in blue and gold, Greves has mastered his egalitarian approach, disguising his intention until the last moment before dishing the ball to any of his teammates anywhere on the court with pinpoint precision and timing.

Now second in assists in Canada West history, Greves saved his best season for last, leading the conference and finishing second in the nation with 10.68 assists per set while sitting second in CW in digs per set at 2.17. Under his guidance, the Thunderbirds have had the best offence in not just Canada West, but all of U SPORTS this year, topping all other teams in both points and assists per set, while leading the country in hitting percentage by a whopping 32 points.

Greves becomes the first Thunderbird to win U SPORTS Player of the Year. 

Other nominees: Maxime Gratton (Toronto), Maxime St-Denis (Montreal)

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kale Orr, Mount Royal

Kale Orr’s rookie campaign with the Mount Royal Cougars was nothing short of outstanding, immediately establishing the Magrath, Alta., product as one of the country’s most dangerous offensive threats. Orr became the centrepiece of the Cougars’ attack, leading the team with 259 total kills and averaging 3.55 kills per set. Those marks not only paced MRU but ranked eighth and sixth in U SPORTS respectively, demonstrating his impact against the nation’s top competition. 

A business student with a mature, composed presence on the court, Orr’s breakout season gives the Cougars a foundational piece to build around in the years ahead. His production and poise have already placed him firmly on the radar as one of U SPORTS’ rising stars.

He is the first Mount Royal player to earn the award.  

Other nominees: Mekhi Fitzgerald (McMaster), Félix-Antoine Perron (Laval) 

DALE IWANOCZKO AWARD (Student-Athlete Community Service): Fehin Awobodu, Waterloo 

A leader in every sense of the word, Awobodu has made a lasting impact both on the court and beyond the sidelines.  

The fifth-year honours student in science and business has played an active role in his community. Through UW Blueprint, he designed a fleet management dashboard to improve route efficiency and operational coordination for food delivery, while also working with the non-profit Food4Kids Waterloo, which delivers food to over 1,400 kids and operates in 130 schools. 

As the graphic design lead for the University of Waterloo’s Black Association for Student Expression (BASE), he supported Black History Month festivities and the Unity in Motion basketball games. He also used his design skills to organize and support the execution of multiple BASE events centered on culture and representation.  

Always looking for ways to give back, Awobodu organized and promoted events to grow the design community at Waterloo, creating spaces aimed at aspiring UX designers and providing opportunities for them to develop their skills. 

Awobodu has delivered numerous presentations on navigating STEM pathways as a Black student, sharing his experiences and mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds.  

A well-rounded student-athlete and team captain, the middle blocker also put together a strong season for the gold and black. He played in all 20 matches, posting an impressive .366 hitting percentage, good for top-two in the province and eighth nationally. A force on both offence and defence, he recorded 126 kills and 60 total blocks, placing him third in the conference in the latter.   

Awobodu is the first Warrior to take home the honour.  

Other nominees: Maxim Turgeon (Mount Royal), Arnaud Bouchard (Sherbrooke)

FOX 40 COACH OF THE YEAR: Michael Hawkins, UBC

Leading the Thunderbirds to a 19-1 record and the top seed in Canada West, Michael Hawkins has earned his first Coach of the Year award in one of the most dominant regular seasons in team history. Now in his eighth year guiding the Thunderbirds, Hawkins has helped re-establish UBC as one of this country’s pre-eminent men’s volleyball programs. 

The T-Birds finished the regular season on a 13-match win streak while their home court dominance was even more impressive, notching 26 straight victories dating back to February of 2024. The Lethbridge, Alta. native oversaw a 2025-26 regular season in which the Thunderbirds led the conference in sets won (59), and finished second nationally in kills per set (13.01), and first in hitting percentage (.346) and assists per set (12.34). 

This is the third time a UBC coach has won the award, following two-time winner Dale Ohman in 1982-83 and 1999-2000.  

Other nominees: James Gravelle (Windsor), Ghazi Guidara (Montreal) 

2026 U SPORTS MEN’S VOLLEYBALL AWARD WINNERS & ALL-CANADIANS 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mason Greves, UBC

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kale Orr, Mount Royal

DALE IWANOCZKO AWARD (Student-Athlete Community Service): Fehin Awobodu, Waterloo

FOX 40 COACH OF THE YEAR: Michael Hawkins, UBC

First Team All-Canadians

Second Team All-Canadians

All-Rookie Team