Abbotsford (Darren McDonald, UFV Communications) – The University of the Fraser Valley athletics department is pleased to announce the hiring of Janelle Rozema as the new head coach of the Cascades women’s volleyball program.
Rozema joins UFV after serving seven years as assistant coach at the University of Alberta, where she helped guide the Pandas to a U SPORTS national championship bronze medal in 2019 following a national silver medal in 2018. In all, Rozema has earned six national championship medals since 2012.
“It’s exciting to have someone with Janelle’s experience join us,” says Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Steve Tuckwood. “She has been part of some excellent programs that we are trying to emulate.”
In addition to being the Pandas’ varsity assistant coach, club manager, and 18U head coach, Rozema coached Volleyball Canada’s youth/junior national team and Alberta’s provincial team. She was also named the 2019 Mikasa Performance Coach of the Year (female division) with Volleyball Alberta.
Her arrival coincides with UFV’s women’s and men’s volleyball programs entering their final PACWEST seasons before ascending to Canada West, one of four regional associations within U SPORTS, the national governing body for Canada’s highest level of post-secondary athletic competition.
“I’m excited to join UFV and bring some strong female leadership to a group of strong women volleyball players,” Rozema says.
“There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but I know we’re up to the challenge — if we do it together. I feel very honoured to be welcomed into the culture the Cascades women’s volleyball program has already built, but also to bring pieces of myself to that culture.”
Rozema is no stranger to the region’s post-secondary volleyball community, having served as head coach at Columbia Bible College and assistant coach at Trinity Western University before taking her talents to Alberta in 2012.
An outdoors enthusiast originally from Sherwood Park, Alberta, she’s looking forward to returning to the mountains of B.C.
Rozema takes the reins from Mike Gilray, who served as the team’s head coach since 2015.
“I want to thank Mike for his work over the past four years,” says Tuckwood. “I know he leaves the program in a much better place than where he found it.”
