KELOWNA, B.C. – Men's volleyball setter Zach van Geel and women's golfer Julia Alexander-Carew were honoured as the 2025-26 UBCO Heat Outstanding Athletes of the Year on Wednesday evening when the Heat hosted their Athletic Awards Banquet at the Coast Capri Hotel.
 
Van Geel, a native of Calgary, becomes the second consecutive men's volleyball player to earn the award, following in the footsteps of teammate Thys Weststrate last year. Meanwhile, Alexander-Carew joins Jen Woods in 2012-13 as the only women's golfers to earn the recognition.
 
Both van Geel and Alexander-Carew will receive a $2000 prize courtesy of the Coast Capri Hotel for being named the Heat Outstanding Athletes of the Year.
 
Van Geel was central to the men's volleyball team's record-setting season. The fifth-year setter recorded a career-best 9.44 assists per set, fourth best in Canada West, while leading the team to their best-ever single-season hitting percentage. For his play, he was named a Canada West First Team All-Star and became the first UBCO athlete from a men's sport to be named a U SPORTS All-Canadian, earning a spot on the first team.
 
As for Alexander-Carew, she put together a dominant season for the women's golf team. In five events through the summer and fall, she won three times, including winning UBCO's first-ever individual gold medal at the Canadian University/College Championship. She also won individual silver at the Canada West Championship, leading her team to a silver medal finish. As a result, she was named a Golf Canada All-Canadian and Canada West First Team All-Star.
 
UBCO re-introduced an award at Wednesday's banquet, the Student-Athlete of the Year award, that was last handed out in 2017-18. The recognition honours those athletes who best combine outstanding academic achievement with exceptional performance on the field of play. This year's recipients were Annika Gross from women's soccer and Alex Sol from men's soccer.
 
Gross, a three-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, played nearly every minute for her team in the midfield, scoring three goals and adding an assist, while playing stout defensively. A leader on and off the pitch, she capped her career by earning a spot on the Canada West Pacific Division All-Star team.
 
Sol, a five-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, started every game he played for the fourth consecutive year, suiting up for 15 contests. He finishes his career second in games played in team history.
 
The Graduating Athletes of the Year had a special surprise prior to their recognition. Starting this year, the award will now be known as the Lucia Boersma Graduating Athlete of the Year in honour of long-time Athletics administrator Lucia Boersma who retired at the end of this season following over 26 years with the department.
 
The first-time winners of the newly-named award were men's basketball's Jalen Shirley and women's volleyball's Natalie Funk.
 
Shirley finished his career as the all-time leader in points and assists at UBCO, and ranks second all-time in steals. He also owns the single game scoring record, pouring in 43 points against Thompson Rivers this year, and twice set the single season scoring mark. He ended his career by earning a nod as a Canada West Third Team All-Star this season.
 
As for Funk, she finishes her time ranked in the top five in multiple team statistical categories, including total blocks, aces, and points. Consistently one of the top blockers in Canada West during her career, she has given back to the campus and Kelowna community in multiple ways while also serving as UBCO's representative on the Canada West Student-Athlete Engagement Committee.
 
Finally, the Heat's Rookie of the Year awards were handed out to women's volleyball's Ali Rathlef and men's basketball's Anthony Brady.
 
Rathlef finished third in all of Canada in hitting percentage, recording 101 kills, six aces and 39 blocks for 127.5 points. As a result of her play, she was named to both the Canada West All-Rookie team as well as the U SPORTS All-Rookie team.
 
Brady averaged 22.1 minutes per night, while scoring 128 points, including five in double-figures, and adding 83 rebounds. He also set a school record for most steals in a single game, recording seven against the Trinity Western Spartans in January.
 
Also recognized on Wednesday evening were each team's Most Valuable Players and Leadership & Community Service Award recipients.
 
2025-26 UBCO Heat Major Award Winners
Outstanding Athlete of the Year (Men's Sports) – Zach van Geel, Volleyball
Outstanding Athlete of the Year (Women's Sports) – Julia Alexander-Carew, Golf
Graduating Athlete of the Year (Men's Sports) – Jalen Shirley, Basketball
Graduating Athlete of the Year (Women's Sports) – Natalie Funk, Volleyball
Student-Athlete of the Year (Men's Sports) – Alex Sol, Soccer
Student-Athlete of the Year (Women's Sports) – Annika Gross, Soccer
Rookie of the Year (Men's Sports) – Anthony Brady, Basketball
Rookie of the Year (Women's Sports) – Ali Rathlef, Volleyball
 
Team MVPs
M Basketball – Lamine Conde
W Basketball – Lily Pink
M Cross Country – Owen Lloyd
W Cross Country – Lauren McNeil
M Golf – Ryan Vest
W Golf – Julia Alexander-Carew
M Rugby – Nathan Holmes
M Soccer – Malachi Emerson
W Soccer – Abigail Taneda
W Softball – Kate Hourihane
M Volleyball – Zach van Geel
W Volleyball – Natalie Funk
 
Team Leadership Awards
M Basketball – David Usuomon
W Basketball – Tennyson McCarthy
M Cross Country – Kyle Porter
W Cross Country – Ella Wigmore
M Golf – Andrew Rouble
W Golf – Lauren Nedo
M Rugby – Armaan Dhaliwal
M Soccer – Alex Sol
W Soccer – Nina Louis
W Softball – Cheyenne Simicak
M Volleyball – Stephen Searcy
W Volleyball – Chloe Ladd