Men's Volleyball | 3/5/2026 1:05:00 PM

York University Lions men's volleyball players Jasraj Nijjar and Dennis Cota have been named OUA second team all-stars, as announced by the conference on Thursday afternoon.  

Nijjar, a fifth-year setter from Brampton, Ont., established a new York men's volleyball record for career assists with 2,526, surpassing the previous mark of 2,467 set by Logan Mend (2014-19). Playing in all 20 matches, the sociology student set a career-high in assists with 788, which placed him third in the OUA in that category, and fourth in the country. He also ranked fourth in the OUA in assist per set at 9.38, which was good enough to round out the nation's top 10. In addition to his offensive prowess, Nijjar also chipped in defensively, putting up 20 total blocks, which ranked third on the team. 2025-26 marks Nijjar's third time being named a second-teamer and his fourth time on an all-star squad (all-rookie – 2021-22).

Cota, a fourth-year middle blocker from Mississauga, Ont., also earned second team all-star honors, cracking the all-OUA second team for a third consecutive season after landing on the 2022-23 all-rookie team. The kinesiology and health science student concluded the season tied for ninth in the province with a hitting percentage of .292, with 4.33 attacks per set, the most in the OUA among middles. His 166 kills were second on the team and 22nd in the OUA, again topping the provincial totem pole among middle blockers. Defensively, Cota He led the Lions in total blocks with 46 which were the 10th-most in the OUA and paced the Pride for a third straight season.

The Lions two all-stars guided them to a 12-8 regular season, good for the sixth seed in the OUA, earning them their second straight playoff berth and third in the last four years. For the first time in that stretch, the Lions did not advance beyond the opening round, as they were dispatched by the Queen's Gaels.