The University of Windsor Lancer women's volleyball team is very excited to begin the 2026-27 season under new head coach Jimmy El-Turk as they build on a 27-16 record in the last two years.
 
"It's a big goal for us to stack up daily wins and be addicted to the process of daily improvements," El-Turk said regarding his team's expectations this season. "We're not worried about setting any major goals for ourselves outside of building the behaviours and habits that support winning."
 
Notable Returnees
Aliah Admans
An All-Canadian and back-to-back OUA First Team All-Star, the psychology major finished third in the OUA last season in points (306), kills (264), and kills per set (3.83) while also leading the Lancers in digs (158). She is the heartbeat of this team and will again be heavily relied upon this year.
 
"Aliah is a very special player and one of the best I've ever had the chance to work with," El-Turk said. "She has the upside of being one of the best players in our league this season, and we will rely on her to help us win matches."
 
Geneva Huisman
The Amherstburg native and fellow psychology student helped Windsor finish fifth across the OUA in hitting percentage last season with a .333 mark of her own while simultaneously finishing first and third on the Lancers in blocks (20) and kills (89).
 
"She will have a major impact for us with her point-scoring ability," El-Turk believes. "Geneva has a presence around the net that we will count on to balance our offence."
 
Leeya Philip
A third-year Odette School of Business student, she will anchor the offence as the team's starting setter and has already delivered immediate returns with an 8-2 preseason record.
 
"Leeya has done a tremendous job stepping into the setter role and leading our group in her own authentic way," El-Turk said. "She has shown an ability to run our offence the way we want to, and she will continue to grow with more game reps throughout the season."
 
New Players
Zanzi Brook
The third-year forensic science major won a national championship with the University of Alberta Pandas this past spring over Sherbrooke and will be relied upon for her leadership on and off the floor.
 
"Zanzi brings more size to an already strong middle blocker group and has influenced our gym positively in such a short period of time," El-Turk said.
 
Hailey Tulik
Standing at 6-foot-0, the Fort Qu'Appelle native and Faculty of Human Kinetics rookie is a left side with big-game experience already, earning a bronze medal with Team Saskatchewan at the 2025 Canada Games.
 
"Hailey is a fierce competitor who has brought a welcomed intensity to our gym," El-Turk described.
 
Rachael Ricketts
A 6-foot-1 middle blocker who has represented the South County Bandits at the club level as a LaSalle native, the first-year biology student has thrived within her first few weeks on campus by excelling at volleyball's fundamentals.
 
"Rachael's ability to execute the basic skills at a superior level have allowed her to find playing time in some meaningful preseason matches," El-Turk said. "We're always excited to have our local athletes stay home and represent the hometown Lancers!"
 
Julia Hunter, Kelly Kuss, and Penelope Gallo round out this year's recruiting class.
 
2025-26 Stat Leaders
Kills: Aliah Admans – 264
Assists: Danika Scharff – 616
Digs: Aliah Admans – 158
Blocks: Jordyn Bearley – 58
Aces: Aryn Markett – 28
 
Key Matchups 
November 13 vs McMaster
Windsor hosts the 2025 Quigley Cup champions to celebrate their home opener while looking for revenge on a team that ousted them in three sets during the OUA quarterfinals last year. As a Hamilton native, look for fourth-year middle blocker Hope Simpson to have a big game.
 
"We want to feel that we left this season in a better place than when we arrived," El-Turk said. "That will come with the accumulation of daily victories."
 
November 28 vs Brock
As Quigley Cup champions four times in the past five seasons, the blue and gold have their work cut out for them versus Brock ahead of the holiday break. Geneva Huisman had 15 kills, a solo block, and two block assists in their two February meetings last season.
 
"We had a chance to play them in the preseason and saw the quality of touch they have on the ball," El-Turk described. "Their ability to play at a really high, sustainable level was a big takeaway for us."
 
February 12 vs the University of Toronto
Windsor will host the Varsity Blues for the first time since splitting a weekend series with them on November 14 and 15, 2024 at the Toldo Lancer Centre. Aliah Admans posted 33 kills and 10 digs in the previous two matchups.
 
"Aliah's attention to detail is next level, and her intention and volleyball IQ are at a similar level," El-Turk added. "Her game and her leadership skills are growing every single day."
 
February 20 vs Guelph
The Lancers will celebrate Senior's Day versus a Gryphons side they have gone the distance with five times in the last seven games–two of their three five-set wins came at the Toldo Lancer Centre. During Windsor's last victory, 2026 graduates Danika Scharff and Aryn Markett led the way by contributing 32 assists, 18 digs, and ten service aces.
 
"We really hope our fans can show up for our student athletes, and we want our players in return to act as role models for the youth in our community by inspiring them to dream about being Lancers one day," El-Turk concluded. "We're looking forward to another great year of volleyball, and Go Lancers!"
 
Tickets are available for purchase at goLancers.ca/tickets, or you can watch online at oua.tv.