Gee-Gees

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The fourth-year standout led Ottawa to their first playoff appearance in a decade

Gee-Gees outside hitter Audrey Odigie has been honoured as an OUA First-Team All-Star for the second consecutive season. This marks the third straight year overall that Odigie has received a First-Team nod, having previously been named to the RSEQ First Team in 2023-24.

She has also been named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian for the first time in her career, and is the first Gee-Gee to earn an All-Canadian selection since Myriam English (First Team) and Kelsie English (Second Team) in 2013-14. 

In 2025-26, Odigie delivered her best season to date. The Brampton native posted a career-high in kills/set (3.95, 2nd OUA, 4th U SPORTS), digs/set (2.38), blocks/set (0.41), points/set (4.7, 2nd OUA, 4th U SPORTS) and total kills, reaching the 300-kill mark for the first time in her career. While it wasn’t a career high, she also finished tied for fifth in the OUA in aces/set.

From a team perspective, Odigie led the Gee-Gees to their first playoff appearance since 2015-16, though the team fell to the Brock Badgers in the OUA Quarterfinal.

Odigie, it seems, just lost out on the OUA Player of the Year award. While it was won very deservingly by Nipissing’s Oceane Raymond-Leduc – who led the OUA with 4.3 kills/set and 5.1 points/set – Odigie was clearly the (statistically) second-best player in the conference. 

Interestingly, Raymond-Leduc is the first OUA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year to have their team miss the playoffs since at least 2012-13. However, the Lakers’ fourth-year was undeniably brilliant, scoring 20+ kills on five occasions (a quarter of her matches), and was rewarded for her efforts despite her team’s 8-12 record (11th OUA).

As Odigie is expected to return for a fifth and final year in 2026-27, she’ll have one last chance to take home the conference’s top honour, though the competition will remain stiff. 

Windsor’s Aliah Admans (fourth-year) and McMaster’s Olivia Julien (third-year) have both joined Odigie on the First Team for the past two seasons, and appear poised to challenge for the award next year. Similarly, Raymond-Leduc has a year of eligibility left should she choose to return and defend her title.

Snubbed?

Odigie was the lone Gee-Gee named to an OUA All-Star Team this season.

Unfortunately, that means sensational seasons by seniors Harper Schaefer and Christine Hachokake will go unrewarded. 

Acknowledging that stats aren’t the full picture – and that every team will claim their players were snubbed – it’s somewhat surprising that no other Gee-Gee landed an award.

While Schaefer (5th in assists/set) cooled off slightly after the winter break, which she entered 1st in the OUA in assists/set, she played the 2nd-most sets of anyone in the conference over the course of the season, provided excellent defense in the back row, and showed tremendous hustle in her ability to track down balls and keep her hitters in-system. 

Schaefer’s absence is intriguing given the criteria that the selection committee used for setters: Guelph’s Sophie Sommerfeldt, who finished 1st in assists/set, didn’t make an All-Star team either. Mackenna Knox (Brock) was named to the First Team, while Danika Scharff (Windsor) made the Second Team. 

Hachokake, meanwhile, finished the season 1st in total solo blocks (34) and 4th in blocks/set (0.96). Her consistency over the course of the season – shutting down opposing middles and wings alike – was stabilizing for a Gee-Gees team that had its share of ups and downs, and her serve was a lethal weapon that provided lengthy runs when given the opportunity to fire. Five total middle blockers were named to All-Star teams.

Likewise, breakout seasons by libero Jess Goodman (6th in digs/set) and middle Keely Lloyd (5th in blocks/set) were not quite enough to crack the OUA’s Third Team.

The full OUA All-Star and Rookie teams are as follow:

First-Team:

Oceane Raymond-Leduc / Nipissing (Player of the Year)

Olivia Julien / McMaster

Audrey Odigie / Ottawa

Emma Buntic / Western

Claire Carter / Queen’s

Aliah Admans / Windsor

Mackenna Knox / Brock

Second-Team:

Julia Liu / Toronto

Avery Isaacs / Waterloo

Emily Foest / Brock

Ava Ebert / Western

Lauren MacPhail / Queen’s

Danika Scharff / Windsor

Olivia Zhu / Toronto

Third-Team:

Madeline Pelosi / Western

Maia Dan / Guelph

Abby Delamere / McMaster

Abigail McAlpine / Queen’s

Emma Baruchelli / Brock

Delaney Watson / Toronto

Samantha Loshusan / Waterloo

All-Rookie Team:

Marina Gustke / Toronto (Rookie of the Year)

Toni Wilson / Western

Cassie Robinson / Nipissing

Yulia Glazko / York

Eva Lin / McMaster

Sadie Bird / TMU

Ava Coonfer / Western

Looking ahead to next season, the Gee-Gees have already signed four recruits for 2026-27. 

Middle blocker Fanenter Akende (London, ON), setter Layla Sevor (Hamilton, ON), libero Emily Painter (South Surrey, BC) and outside hitter Isabella Murrin (St. John’s, NL) will be brought in to replace departing members Brynn Lewis, Janae McKay, Harper Schaefer and Christine Hachokake.

Head coach Lionel Woods has shown a propensity to rely on first-years in the past, so don’t be shocked to see these incoming players get meaningful minutes next season.

See you in September, Gee-Gee fans!