LEVERIDGE, COTA NAMED Z-TECA MEXICAN EATERY YORK ATHLETES OF THE WEEK FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JAN. 26

Varsity Athletics | 1/27/2025 3:00:00 PM

York University Lions women’s basketball player Kiara Leveridge and men’s volleyball player Dennis Cota have been named York athletes of the week for the period ending Jan. 26.

Leveridge, a fourth-year guard from Scarborough, Ont., captures her second athlete of the week award of the season after winning for the period ending Nov. 24. She continued her MVP-caliber play with an outstanding weekend as the Lions earned a split with the Lakehead Thunderwolves. The social work major dropped 21 points and snared a career high-tying 15 boards in Friday night’s buzzer-beating loss. She followed that up with another double-double – her fourth of the season – on Saturday, dropping 21 more points and grabbing 10 more boards as York beat Lakehead 73-54 to remain in the OUA’s final playoff spot. Leveridge is now second in the OUA in points per game, averaging 19.4.

She and the Lions prepare for a doubleheader this weekend, beginning on the road Friday at McMaster before they host the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday in their annual Black History Month game.

Cota, a third-year kinesiology & health science student, was magnificent in the middle for the Lions this past weekend in York’s split against the McMaster Marauders. The Mississauga, Ont., native had three solo blocks and three digs to go along with eight kills on just 14 total attacks on Friday night’s four-set defeat. He then posted eight kills on 11 total attacks with no errors on Saturday as well as four solo blocks and an assisted block in a five-set win. Cota finished the weekend with a robust .560 hitting percentage on 25 combined total attacks.

The Lions, now 10-4 and still third in the OUA and No. 9 in the nation, take on the RMC Paladins for a pair of games at Tait McKenzie Centre this weekend, including the grad game on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm.