Owen Weekes and Raya Surinx are Bison Sports Athletes of the Week

Bisons volleyball made a massive statement over the weekend, winning all four matches at home against Trinity Western. Left sides Owen Weekes and Raya Surinx played key roles for their squads, earning Athlete of the Week honours.

Weekes, a true freshman, made his first career U SPORTS start on Friday, putting down eight kills and a personal best five assisted blocks in the win. He added a career-high nine kills in the rematch, hitting a personal best .429 while adding an ace and three assisted blocks.

The 6’8″ prodigy out of Vincent Massey was the best player in the province in his senior year, helping VMC to an undefeated provincial championship. He started the season as a right side sub off the bench, but has found his place on the left.

Weekes, who smashed kills from the back and front row, put down the game-winner in both contests. On Friday, he blocked Winnipeg native John Obi at the net, one of many thrilling defensive plays that also included three straight assisted blocks in a long rally won by the Herd. On Saturday, Weekes laid down the final kill of the match from the left, helping the ‘Zoons beat TWU 3-0 in back-to-back games for the first time in 25 years.

On the women’s side, Surinx eclipsed two enormous career milestones, helping the No. 7 nationally ranked Bisons to their fifth and sixth wins in a row, and an 8-4 placement in the standings.

On Friday in a 3-0 win, the left side recorded her 100th career regular season service ace, becoming just the second Bison in school history to do so in the rally scoring era. It was one of two aces on the night for the third-year left side, who’s tied for third in Canada West with 20 aces, and 105 for her career after three more on Saturday.

The reigning Player of the Year also racked up 38 kills over two games, and now has 1,023 in her career as a Bison. She became just the second Bison in the rally scoring era to amass over 1,000 kills, with national champ and Player of the Year Rachel Cockrell being the other (1,381).

Surinx blasted kills from all over the court, showing why she’s one of the most versatile players in the country. She hit. 370 combined in 3-0 and 3-1 wins over TWU, and continues to lead the nation with 4.74 kills per set. Surinx is also fifth in the country with 161 kills, just five shy of first. She’s played in two less games than three of the four players in front of her.