OCAA STARS OF THE WEEK

TORONTO - The following student-athletes have been recognized by the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) for their accomplishments during the seven-day period ending Sunday, Nov. 16.

Student-athletes are nominated by their respective athletic departments.

Sina Ayerman
School: Seneca
Program: Business – Marketing
Year of Eligibility: 3
Sport: Basketball
Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ont.
Sina Ayerman carried the Seneca Sting to a pair of home victories this week against their East Division rivals George Brown Huskies and Loyalist Lancers. The third-year point guard scored 21 points and added five assists in an 82-76 win over the Huskies on Nov. 11 before capping the week with a 37-point performance on 62 per cent (13-of-21) shooting in a 109-105 overtime win over the Lancers on Nov. 15. Sina has scored at least 21 points in Seneca's last three games, all victories, and is averaging 21.4 points through five total games.

Shruti Joshi
School: Humber
Program: Business
Year of Eligibility: 2
Sport: Badminton
Hometown: Vadodara, India
Reigning women's doubles national champion and OCAA silver medalist Shruti Joshi had a superlative performance at the 34th annual Fanshawe Invitational badminton tournament last weekend. Shruti had an unblemished record in the Women's Singles A Flight, winning all four matches to take the competition. Teaming up with Yi Lin Meng, Shruti won six more matches to take the Women's Doubles competition. Teaming up with Timothy Lock, Shruti won three straight matches before dropping the final in the Mixed Doubles A Flight.

Hannah Manners
School: Humber
Program: Wellness Coaching
Year of Eligibility: 5
Sport: Volleyball
Hometown: Etobicoke, Ont.
Making her season debut this week, Hannah Manners made an immediate impact as the Humber Hawks picked up a pair of victories to improve to 6-0 on the season. The fifth-year right side recorded a career-high in points (27) and kills (22) in Humber's five-set win over Conestoga on Nov. 12, then finished with a match-high 19 points in Humber's straight sets sweep on the road at Niagara on Nov. 15. The two-time OCAA League All-Star averaged 5.8 points, 1.0 service aces and 4.75 kills over eight sets, with a .524 swing percentage.

Kalan Payzant
School: Boréal
Program: General Arts & Sciences
Year of Eligibility: 4
Sport: Volleyball
Hometown: Chelmsford, Ont.
Kalan Payzant led the Boréal Vipères in nearly every statistical category during a Nov. 16 home match against the Sheridan Bruins. Kalan arguably had his best performance of the season with a team-high 14 points on 13 kills and one block. The fourth-year left side had a stellar hitting percentage of .591 with zero errors on 22 total attacks. Kalan also contributed a couple of digs defensively. A consistent leader on the floor and a persistent attacker, Kalan has been a standout player for the Vipères all season, averaging 3.0 points per set.

Arpitraj Sinha
School: Fanshawe
Program: Business Fundamentals
Year of Eligibility: 4
Sport: Badminton
Hometown: London, Ont.
After not competing last season, Arpitraj Sinha had a strong performance for the host Falcons, working double duty at the 34th annual Fanshawe Invitational badminton tournament last weekend. A three-time OCAA and two-time national medalist, Arpitraj made a deep run in the Men's Singles A Flight on Day 1, advancing to the quarter-finals before falling in three sets. The following day, Arpitraj and his doubles partner Thao Le were victorious on their home court in the Men's Doubles B Flight. Overall, Arpitraj went 5-2 at the competition.

Joanna Smith
School: Mohawk
Program: Early Childhood Education
Year of Eligibility: 3
Sport: Basketball
Hometown: Simcoe, Ont.
For the third time in four games, Joanna Smith hit the 20-point mark, powering the defending OCAA champion Mohawk Mountaineers to their sixth straight win to open the 2025-26 campaign. Facing her former team, the Fanshawe Falcons, where Joanna played for two seasons before transferring to Mohawk, the third-year guard scored 21 points on 53.3 per cent (8-of-15) shooting while adding four rebounds and an assist. Joanna now ranks third in the OCAA and first in the West Division in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game.

- OCAA -

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Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
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