Trenke, Murrary lead Tigers in AUS Awards

Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2024-25 AUS women's volleyball all-stars and major award winners as selected by the conference's six head coaches following regular season play. 

Saint Mary’s left side Emilia Mikanovich was named the most valuable player for the 2024-25 season.

Other major award winners include Saint Mary’s Grace Blaskovits, who was named AUS women’s volleyball rookie of the year; Dalhousie’s Kasandra Trenke, who earned the student-athlete community service award; and head coach of the Dalhousie Tigers, Patrick Murray, whose peers have selected him as the conference’s coach of the year.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Kasandra Trenke, Dalhousie Tigers (Erin Bursey Memorial Award)

Dalhousie Tigers middle Kasandra Trenke is the 2024-25 recipient of the Erin Bursey Memorial Award, given to the women's volleyball student-athlete who shows outstanding achievements in three areas: volleyball, academics and community involvement.

A third-year microbiology and immunology student from Calgary, Alta. and one of the Tigers’ team captains, Trenke excelled on the court and in the classroom this season, while also volunteering her time in her community.

She finished the regular season with the best hitting percentage in the conference (.366)—the fourth best in U SPORTS and was also named an AUS second team all-star today.

In the classroom, Trenke boasts a 4.18 GPA. She is a two-time Academic All-Canadian on pace to repeat for a third time this year.

Her extensive volunteer work includes helping to run the Special Tigers program which runs events that allow youth with special needs to partner with varsity athletes to share their love of sports.

Trenke lends her time to several other on-campus initiatives, including Extra Awesome Dalhousie (a program created to celebrate the abilities of individuals with Down syndrome), and SPRING Dalhousie (Students Pairing to Reach Individual’s Needs and Goals).

Off campus, Trenke also volunteers with Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“Kasandra exemplifies the qualities that we hope to find in all student-athletes,” said Tigers head coach Patrick Murray. “A natural leader, Kasandra’s contributions to our team’s culture and success extend well beyond the court. In what has been her most successful athletic season with the Tigers, she remains committed to continuing her academic excellence and devoted to community service.”

Trenke now becomes the AUS nominee for the U SPORTS Therese Quigley Award, which has been won by an AUS player eight times—most recently Saint Mary’s Madison Hann last season.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Patrick Murray, Dalhousie Tigers

In his first season at the helm of the Dalhousie Tigers women’s volleyball program, Patrick Murray has been chosen by his peers as the AUS coach of the year.

Prior to his appointment as head coach, Murray served as a Tigers assistant coach for 10 seasons

This year, Murray’s Tigers finished the 2024-25 regular season atop the AUS standings with a 16-4 record.

The team led U SPORTS in digs this season (1,397), as well as total attacks (2,818). They led the Atlantic conference in points per set (15.4), assists per set (11.10), and kills per set (11.72), and boasted the best hitting percentage (.187).

Coach Murray now becomes the AUS nominee for U SPORTS coach of the year. Only three coaches from the Atlantic conference have ever won the national award: current Acadia Axewomen bench boss Michelle Wood last season, former Dalhousie coach Rick Scott in 2016-17 and Moncton's Monette Boudreau-Carroll in 2007-08

2024-25 AUS FIRST AND SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

First Team All-Stars
Emilia Mikanovich, Saint Mary’s (3^rd year – Minsk, Belarus)
Lydia Grawer, Memorial (4^th year – St. Louis, Missouri)
Lydia Green, UNB (4^th year – Bedford, N.S.)
Alena Piatukhova, Saint Mary’s (3^rd year – Minsk, Belarus)
Alexia Lemay-Evans, Acadia (3^rd year – Azilda, Ont.)
Ella Hornby, Dalhousie (4^th year – Calgary, Alta.)
Courtney Hodder, Memorial (3^rd year – Main Point, N.L.)

Second Team All-Stars
Grace Calnan, Dalhousie (5^th year – Cole Harbour, N.S.)
Heather Benko, UNB (3^rd year – Sechelt, B.C.)
Karen Greek, Memorial (3^rd year – Mount Pearl, N.L.)
Kasandra Trenke, Dalhousie (3^rd year – Calgary, Alta.)
Jenna Adams, UNB (3^rd year – Truro, N.S.)
Grace Blaskovits, Saint Mary’s (1^st year – Kelowna, B.C.)
Jenna Lake, Acadia (4^th year – Conception Bay South, N.L. 

All-Rookie Team
Grace Blaskovits, Saint Mary’s (Kelowna, B.C.)
Mia Lemay-Evans, Acadia (Azilda, Ont.)
Quinn McAleer, Dalhousie (Calgary, Alta.)
Olivia DeDecker, Memorial (Kipling, Sask.)

The Tigers host the fourth-seed Memorial Sea-Hawks in the semifinal series this weekend. The winner of the best-of-three series will qualify for the U SPORTS championship in March and will play the winner of the Saint Mary's versus UNB series. 

Semifinal Series A (Best 2-of-3) – Dalhousie (1) vs. Memorial (4)

Game 1: Friday, Feb. 21 – Memorial at Dalhousie, 7 p.m. AST
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 22 – Memorial at Dalhousie, 7 p.m. AST
Game 3: Sunday, Feb. 23 – Memorial at Dalhousie, 3 p.m. AST*
(*if necessary)  

Full AUS Release