GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2025-26 season, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics will be highlighting various members from our Gryphon varsity programs as part of our 'Gryph's Locker Athletes of the Week, presented by POWERADE' series.
Killian Donovan (men's volleyball) and
Maia Dan (women's volleyball) have been named 'Gryphon Athletes of the Week' for the period covering November 24 to 30, 2025.
Killian Donovan (Men's Volleyball)
Gryphons men's volleyball second-year standout,
Killian Donovan, has been named 'Gryphon Athlete of the Week' after a sensational weekend in Guelph, where the 19-year-old from Sydney, Australia helped lead the Gryphons to a pair of memorable victories. Donovan and the Gryphons ended the Windsor Lancers undefeated season, with the Lancers (ranked No. 4 in the country) arriving in Guelph with a perfect 8-0 record. The Gryphons defeated the Lancers in five sets on Friday night (Nov. 28), with
Killian Donovan leading the way with 15 kills and 3 aces, to had Windsor their first loss of the season. The next day (Saturday, Nov. 29), the Gryphons took down the Lancers in four sets, with Killian recording a season-high 22 kills in the win. With the two wins over Windsor, the Gryphons improved their record to 6-4. Donovan, a second-year outside hitter on the Gryphons men's volleyball roster, has put together a sensational sophomore campaign to this point. Through the first 10 games of the 2025-26 season, Donovan currently ranks 4th in U SPORTS (and 2nd in the OUA) with 143 kills. He is just 4 kills behind Cade Smith of the Western Mustangs for the most in the OUA. The 6-foot-4, 19-year-old, who currently majors in management at the University of Guelph, is also currently ranked 5th in the country with 3.67 kills-per-set. The Gryphons men's volleyball team now head into the exam/holiday break, and will resume their 2025-26 OUA regular season schedule in the new year, beginning with a January 9-10 trip to Kingston to face another 8-2 team, this time in the form of the No. 7-ranked Queen's Gaels.
Maia Dan (Women's Volleyball)
Maia Dan, a fourth-year outside hitter with the Gryphons women's volleyball team, takes home 'Gryphon Athlete of the Week' honours after helping lead the Gryphons to a hard-fought, five-set victory over the Windsor Lancers on Saturday night (Nov. 29). The 21-year-old from Waterloo, Ontario recorded 12 kills, 16 digs and 4 service aces in her team's 3-2 victory over Windsor on Saturday in Guelph, improving the Gryphons record to 6-4 on the season while handing the Lancers just their third loss of the season. For
Maia Dan, an environmental sciences major at the University of Guelph, it marked the latest performance in a strong 2025-26 season to date, with the fourth-year team captain also recording 12 kills and 13 digs on Friday night (Nov. 28) in Guelph's 3-1 loss to the Lancers. Through 10 games played this season,
Maia Dan currently ranks 4th in the OUA with 20 service aces, while leading the Gryphons in hitting percentage (.249), while also ranking 2nd on the team in both kills (82) and digs (93). The Gryphons women's volleyball team now heads into the exam/holiday break with a 6-4 record on the season, and will resume their 2025-26 OUA regular season schedule in the new year, beginning with a trip to Kingston on Jan. 9 and 10, 2026 to face the Queen's Gaels.
2025-26 Gryphon Athletes of the Week
| Name |
Sport |
Date |
| Killian Donovan |
Men's Volleyball |
Nov. 24-30, 2025 |
| Maia Dan |
Women's Volleyball |
Nov. 24-30, 2025 |
| Hannah Bourdon |
Women's Basketball |
Nov. 17-23, 2025 |
| Nathan Allensen |
Men's Hockey |
Nov. 17-23, 2025 |
| Kobe Faust |
Men's Rugby |
Nov. 10-16, 2025 |
| Christina Morra |
Women's Basketball |
Nov. 10-16, 2025 |
| Alexandra McDougall |
Women's Cross Country |
Nov. 3-9, 2025 |
| Owen Williams |
Men's Rugby |
Nov. 3-9, 2025 |
| Megan Livingstone |
Women's Rowing |
Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2025 |
| Ceilidh Aho |
Women's Rowing |
Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2025 |
| Jack Tunstill |
Men's Basketball |
Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2025 |
| Alexandra McDougall |
Women's Cross Country |
Oct. 20-26, 2025 |
| Max Davies |
Men's Cross Country |
Oct. 20-26, 2025 |
| Joseph Columbus |
Men's Lacrosse |
Oct. 13-19, 2025 |
| Kirsten Sutter |
Women's Lacrosse |
Oct. 13-19, 2025 |
| Charles Trollip |
Men's Rugby |
Oct. 6-12, 2025 |
| Sophie Helfenstein |
Women's Hockey |
Oct. 6-12, 2025 |
| Abby Warriner |
Field Hockey |
Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025 |
| Olivier Ciarlo |
Men's Hockey |
Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025 |
| Olivia Rizakos |
Women's Soccer |
Sept. 22-28, 2025 |
| Ethan Fraser |
Men's Soccer |
Sept. 22-28, 2025 |
| Alexandra McDougall |
Women's Cross Country |
Sept. 15-21, 2025 |
| William MacLeod |
Men's Lacrosse |
Sept. 15-21, 2025 |
| Jacqueline Giles |
Women's Golf |
Sept. 8-14, 2025 |
| Landon Hutar |
Baseball |
Sept. 8-14, 2025 |
| Carter Robart |
Men's Soccer |
Sept. 1-7, 2025 |
| Rachel McConvey |
Women's Lacrosse |
Sept. 1-7, 2025 |
| Olivia Rizakos |
Women's Soccer |
Aug. 25-31, 2025 |
