WINDSOR, Ont. – UBCO Heat men's volleyball setter Zach van Geel was named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian on Wednesday night at the All-Canadian Gala in Windsor, Ont., host of the 2026 Biosteel U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship.
 
Van Geel, originally from Calgary, capped off a remarkable Heat career by averaging 9.44 assists per set, among the Top 10 in the country as well as the highest mark of his career.
 
"I am so proud of what Zach has accomplished this season," commented Heat head coach Scott Koskie. "He played at an exceptionally high level all season long even through a significant injury. Zach has been a very important part of setting a high standard for this program and for him to receive this recognition is an amazing way to conclude an exceptional career at UBCO. We thank him for all he has given and all he has brought to our program."
 
Van Geel was a central part of the Heat's record-setting season in which they won a program high 15 games and were ranked in the U SPORTS Top 10 for much of the season, peaking as high as number three in Canada. He also helped the Heat earn the right to host a Canada West playoff series for the first time as they finished fourth overall in the conference standings.
 
He recorded 670 assists, the most in his five-year career, and helped the Heat to their most efficient offensive season in program history, as they combined to hit 0.282 percent, more than 50 base points ahead of their previous best mark of 0.230 set in 2021-22.
 
His assist totals allowed him to become UBCO's all-time assist leader since the team joined U SPORTS in 2011-12, surpassing Kristof Schlagintweit's mark of 2704 to finish his career with 2779.
 
He would also add 133 digs, the most for a UBCO athlete in six years, 39 kills, a career-high 53 blocks, and 16 aces.
 
As a result of his recognition, he becomes the first UBCO male athlete in any sport to be named to an All-Canadian team, and the 11^th overall in school history.
 
2026 U SPORTS MEN'S VOLLEYBALL AWARD WINNERS & ALL-CANADIANS
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mason Greves, UBC
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kale Orr, Mount Royal
DALE IWANOCZKO AWARD (Student-Athlete Community Service):  
Fehin Awobodu, Waterloo
FOX 40 COACH OF THE YEAR: Michael Hawkins, UBC
 
First Team All-Canadians
 

Pos.	First Name	Last Name	University	Year	Hometown	Program
S	Mason	Greves	UBC	5	Calgary, Alta.	Natural Resource Conservation
OH	Kaden	Schmidt	Trinity Western	4	Mississauga, Ont.	Education
S	Zach	van Geel	UBC Okanagan	5	Calgary, Alta.	Health & Exercise Sciences
OH	Maxime	Gratton	Toronto	5	Ottawa, Ont.	Developmental Psychology & Education
MB	Darian	Koskie	Windsor	5	Winnipeg, Man.	Business Admin.
S	Maxime	St-Denis	Montreal	5	Ottawa, Ont.	Pre-school/Primary Education
S	Charles	St-Aubin	Laval	4	Joliette, Qué.	Physical & Health Education

 
Second Team All-Canadians
 

Pos.	First Name	Last Name	University	Year	Hometown	Program
OH	Jacob	Sargent	Alberta	4	Lethbridge, Alta.	Kinesiology, Sport & Rec.
OH	Emmett	Graham	Saskatchewan	5	Saskatoon, Sask.	Arts & Science
S	Anselm	Rein	Trinity Western	5	Erfurt, Germany	Biology
OH	Killian	Donovan	Guelph	2	Sydney, Australia	Management
OH	Reed	Venning	Queen's	4	Courtice, Ont.	Arts & Science
OH	Max	Losier	Laval	5	Ottawa, Ont.	Masters of Economics
OH	Étienne	Grenier	Montreal	1	Ottawa, Ont.	Biomedical Sciences

 
All-Rookie Team
 

Pos.	First Name	Last Name	University	Hometown	Program
OH	Félix-Antoine	Perron	Laval	Longueuil, Que.	Mathematics
OH	Étienne	Grenier	Montreal	Ottawa, Ont.	Biomedical Sciences
OH	Mekhi	Fitzgerald	McMaster	Milton, Ont.	Math & Statistics
L	Carson	Francis	Queen's	Ottawa, Ont.	Economics
OH	Kale	Orr	Mount Royal	Magrath, Alta.	Business
S	Matthew	Brown	Calgary	Sunnyside, Man.	Business
L	Parker	Ocampo	UBC	Oakville, Ont.	Arts