Lancers’ Law-Heese lays down lofty season to claim player of the year nod

Burlington, Ont. – Leaders on and off the court, sensational achievements stand tall among this year’s honourees. A tenacious rookie campaign joins a group of veteran leaders as part of the 2024-25 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s volleyball award winners and all-stars, headlined by player of the year Markus Law-Heese from the Windsor Lancers.

Player of the Year - Markus Law-Heese, Windsor Lancers

Markus Law-Heese becomes the third Lancer to earn OUA player of the year honours.

A fourth-year setter from Aurora, Ont., Law-Heese ran the Windsor Lancers offence like a well-oiled machine to help them secure a program best 18-2 campaign.

He averaged 9.6 assists per set this season, good for second in the OUA, while also averaging 2.15 digs per set during the regular season to earn eighth spot in that regard. The human kinetics student also had a solid year from the service line with 17 aces.

Law-Heese, who is now a two-time OUA all-star with a second-team nod last season, recorded multiple outings with 45 assists, including his best of the season, 51 and 50, respectively, coming against Western in their final matches of the year. He totaled 720 assists during the regular season for third spot in the OUA ranks. 

Rookie of the Year - Chris Hoffman, York Lions

Chris Hoffman started his career with the Lions during the 2024-25 season and his immediate impact helped him capture the OUA Rookie of the Year Award.

Hoffman’s debut campaign with York saw him finish second on the team in kills with 165 and tied for second in kills per set with 2.39. The psychology student’s numbers were good for a top-25 finish in the OUA, as he slots in 23rd and 24th in those respective categories.

The Uxbridge, Ont. product was also solid defensively, finishing just outside the top-five on the team in digs with 64 and total blocks with 19. He showed his length at 6'7” with a great blocking game, finishing third among York outside hitters with those 19 total blocks.

Hoffman becomes the first Lion in a decade to win OUA men's volleyball rookie of the year, and only the third all-time. He's the first since fellow outside hitter, Josh Henderson, won it in 2014-15. One of many things that makes Hoffman's season remarkable is his youth, being that he played his first eight games in the OUA as a 17-year-old, before turning 18 on November 18th.

Champion of EDI Award - Chris Zimmerman, Queen’s Gaels

Chris Zimmerman has been a champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion amongst the Gaels as a leader in his community, and his efforts have now been recognized at the conference level as well.

The third-year arts student has worked tirelessly in the many areas of the Queen’s and Kingston community to make it accessible and welcoming to all. He is the lead of the Queer and Gender Diverse Student Athlete Association, organizing events to facilitate conversations for 2SLGBTQ+ student-athletes, while also working with local 2SLGBTQ+ groups in Kingston to ensure there is an accessible community for Queen’s student-athletes. He also had a hand in organizing the Pride games at Queen’s.

He has spent a couple of years on the Queen’s Varsity Leadership Council both as a Team Representative, social media committee member, and as the VP of community Outreach, leading truth and reconciliation efforts for Queen’s student-athletes.

Adding to his leadership on campus, he was invited and attended the 2024 Queen’s Leadership Development Conference alongside other student leaders. The event was hosted by the Office of the Principal and the Office of the Rector and was attended by university deans and senior administrators.

Within the Kingston community, Zimmerman works with Pathways to Education, an organization that helps students overcome barriers to education and supports the annual Martha’s Table food drive. Through the Ontario Public Service, meanwhile, he helps fundraise and organize events for the Federated Health Charities, a group that supports over 21 charities in Ontario.

Not only is Zimmerman a standout in the community but his performance on the court is well-documented as well. The rookie of the year in 2022-23, capped off his third season with the Tricolour with 771 assists, 128 digs, 41 total blocks, and 72.5 points.

Dale Iwanoczko Award of Merit - Lachlan McBride, Queen’s Gaels

A fourth-year outside hitter for the Gaels, Lachlan McBride is a powerhouse on and off the court.

Between the sidelines, McBride recorded 142 points on the year, racking up 124 kills, 58 digs, 19 total blocks this season. He also finished 11th overall in the OUA standings with a .247 hitting percentage.

The senior from Vancouver, B.C. has also played an active role in the Queen’s community. As a member of the Queen’s Varsity Leadership Council, he was the VP of Community Outreach, coordinating and organizing initiatives for varsity athletes to participate within the broader Kingston community. He also volunteered his time as Student-Athlete Academic Mentor, mentoring first-year varsity athletes and providing academic and non-academic support/guidance.

McBride also volunteered beyond the Gaels community as a consultant for Smith Business Consulting, which provides management consulting services to help non-profits and small businesses within the Kingston community.

During his time at Queen’s, McBride supported Cam’s Kids, a Canada-wide organization that provides support for young adults struggling with anxiety and mental health, where he was both the social media coordinator and an ambassador.

Currently in law school and building on his studies in he is the Co-President of the Queen’s Sports and Entertainment Law Society, he also helps create professional development opportunities for law students by organizing networking events, speaker panels, and career discussions with industry professionals.

Adding to his most recent accolade, McBride is a four-time academic all-Canadian, a four-time D.I. McLeod Dean’s Honour List Scholar, and a former OUA first team all-star.  

Coach of the Year - James Gravelle, Windsor Lancers

Backed by a conference-leading season for his squad and their best regular season mark in program history, James Gravelle deservedly takes home the OUA coach of the year nod.

Gravelle helmed the Lancers to the top spot in the OUA with an 18-2 record and were nationally ranked in the U SPORTS Top-10 all year long, holding on to the fourth-place position since November.

The Lancers led the OUA this year in many statistical categories, putting themselves in a fantastic position both on offence and defence. They had 16.0 points per set, 11.89 kills per set, and led the province with 198 total blocks (2.63 blocks per set).

Under Gravelle’s leadership, four Lancers were recognized with all-star honours, including player of the year Law-Heese.

The Windsor, Ont. local and former Lancer men's volleyball player himself joined his alma mater in 2013. In closing out his 12th season behind the bench, Gravelle earns his second conference coach of the year award, with his first coming in 2022-23. 

The complete list of 2024-25 OUA men’s volleyball award winners and all-stars are as follows:

Player of the Year - Markus Law-Heese, Windsor Lancers
Rookie of the Year - Chris Hoffman, York Lions
EDI Award Winner - Chris Zimmerman, Queen’s Gaels
Dale Iwanoczko Award of Merit - Lachlan McBride, Queen’s Gaels
Coach of the Year - James Gravelle, Windsor Lancers

FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

Markus Law-Heese, Windsor Lancers
Maxime Gratton, McMaster Marauders
Dennis Cota, York Lions
Zig Licis, Queen’s Gaels
Jayden Talsma, Toronto Varsity Blues
Cade Smith, Western Mustangs
Devin Cooney, Brock Badgers

SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS

Reed Venning, Queen’s Gaels
Jacob Walker, TMU Bold
Quintin Greenidge, Windsor Lancers
Hunter Arulpragasam, Toronto Varsity Blues
Jack Svendsen, Nipissing Lakers
Darian Koskie, Windsor Lancers
Joshua Glasbergen, Guelph Gryphons

THIRD TEAM ALL-STARS

Nic Badalato, Trent Excalibur
Lucas Redmann, Waterloo Warriors
Alex King, TMU Bold
Alex Dorling, York Lions
Gustavo Siqueira, Windsor Lancers
Matthew Rugosi, McMaster Marauders
Chris Zimmerman, Queen’s Gaels

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Chris Hoffman, York Lions
Iannis Toma, Toronto Varsity Blues
Tommy Roussel, RMC Paladins
Seth O’Brien, McMaster Marauders
Tian Harcevic, Guelph Gryphons
Luka Minic, Toronto Varsity Blues
Brock Drover, Trent Excalibur