The Cougars returned to the playoffs last season, and going into the 2025-26 campaign, they are looking to take another step as head coach Rhonda Schmuland enters her second season at Mount Royal. 

Tickets
Watch the Cougars live on Kenyon Court by purchasing your tickets here. MRU students and employees receive free tickets to all home games.

Cougars Women's Volleyball on Canada West TV
Every women's volleyball game will be available live and on demand this season exclusively on Canada West TV – the official streaming home of the conference. To purchase your pass, click here.

2025-26 CW Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll:
Team / Points (First-place votes)

1. Alberta Pandas - 166 (10)
2. UBC Thunderbirds - 150 (1)
3. Manitoba Bisons - 141 (2)
4. Trinity Western Spartans - 132 (1)
5. Fraser Valley Cascades - 124
6. Thompson Rivers WolfPack - 114
7. Saskatchewan Huskies - 93
8. Mount Royal Cougars - 82
9. Winnipeg Wesmen - 67
10. Calgary Dinos - 67
11. UBCO Heat - 52
12. Regina Cougars - 35
13. MacEwan Griffins - 33
14. Brandon Bobcats - 18

2024-25 CW Regular Season Record:
12-8

2024-25 CW Regular Season Division Placement:
6th overall

2025-26 Season Opener
Friday, October 24, 2025 vs. Saskatchewan Huskies

2025-26 Home Opener
Friday, October 24, 2025 vs. Saskatchewan Huskies

Head Coach / # season / Career CW reg. season record:
Rhonda Schmuland / 2nd season / 12-8

2024-25 CW regular season ranks: 
10th in Sets (72)
9th in Kills (810)
9th in Kills per Set (11.25)
4th in Errors (404)
7th in Total Attacks (2285)
9th in Hitting Percentage (.178)
9th in Assists (730)
9th in Assists per Set (10.14)
4th in Service Aces (147)
2nd in Service Errors (269)
4th in Service Aces per Set (2.04)
6th in Receptions (1408)
6th in Reception Errors (146)
8th in Digs (900)
8th in Digs per Set (12.5)
11th in Block Solo (24)
12th in Block Assist (199)
13th in Block Total (124)
11th in Blocks per Set (1.72)
9th in Points (1081.0)
8th in Points per Set (15.0)

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Sets played (Returning)
95 – Mya Morgan 

2024-25 regular season leaders: Matches played (Returning)
20 – Mya Morgan/Paige Davidson/Bronwynn Davies-Neira 

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Kills (per set) (Returning)
181 – Bronwynn Davies-Neira

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Total attacks (kill percentage) (Returning)
551 (.145) – Bronwynn Davies-Neira 
 
2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Assists (per set) (Returning)
51 (2.83) – Marie Leggett 

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Serve aces (per set) (Returning)
22 (0.31) – Bronwynn Davies-Neira 

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Serve receptions (Returning)
414 – Sydney Scatcherd

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Digs (per set) (Returning)
163 (2.30) – Bronwynn Davies-Neira 

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Solo blocks (Returning)
10 – Mya Morgan
 
2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Block assists (Returning)
54 – Mya Morgan

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Total blocks (per set) (Returning)
64 (0.89) – Mya Morgan 

2024-25 CW regular season leaders: Points (per set) (Returning)
221.0 (3.1) – Bronwynn Davies-Neira

Key additions (name / position / eligibility / hometown / last team)
Kennedy Williscroft / Setter / Third Year / West Vancouver, BC / Humber College
Aleda Bondaroff / Middle / First Year / Kelowna, BC / Kelowna Senior Secondary
Aleni Tsougrianis / Libero / First Year / Swift Current, SK / Swift Current Ardens 
Reem Saif / Middle / First Year / Halifax, NS / Canuck Red U18
Erika Bang / Outside / Redshirt / Calgary, AB / Trinity Western University
Norah Matthews / Redshirt / Lloydminster, AB / University of Saskatchewan
 
Key Departures (name / position / hometown / years with program)
Emma Boyd / Middle / Whitehorse, YT / 4 
Lexi Herrod / Setter / Winnipeg, MB / 2
Morgan McKale / Outside / Calgary, AB / 3

Key Performer: Mya Morgan
As the lone fifth-year on the MRU roster, Mya Morgan is tasked with being a leader and anchoring the middle blocker position. With the departure of Emma Boyd, Morgan will be looked to as the go-to player down the middle, both on offence and defence.

The Winnipeger's 64 total blocks ranked her sixth in Canada West last season, making her one of the most feared players to meet at the net. Morgan is no slouch on offence either. Last season, she recorded 125 kills on a team-best .263 hitting percentage. Her versatility and experience set her up for a career year in her senior season. 


Season Preview:
Last season, the Cougars returned to the playoffs after missing out on the year before. Their 12-8 record ranked sixth in a competitive conference. Despite falling to the eventual U SPORTS National Champion Manitoba Bisons in the Canada West quarterfinals, Mount Royal had a lot to be proud of for a hard-fought season. With most of their core returning, the Cougars are hoping to take another step in the 2025-26 campaign.

Highlighted by a combined eight fourth and fifth-year players, the Cougars' lineup is well-versed in what it takes to win in a competitive league. A dangerous trio of Sydney Scatcherd, Mya Morgan and Bronwynn Davies-Neira give the Cougars a highly skilled attack with many other players around them providing depth.

While the departures of key starters Emma Boyd and Lexi Herrod are tough blows to the team, the Cougars have brought in a couple of new faces to help maintain the momentum the team built last season. Entering her second season as head coach, Rhonda Schmuland believes they are poised to do exactly that.

"We are looking to positively building the momentum we had coming out of the 2024-25 season. We have added some great additions to our roster which have given us more depth in multiple positions in addition to having a really strong returning group from last year. The main keys to our success this season will be the connectedness on-and-off the court and the passion with which we play," said Schmuland.