Janelle Rozema has been given the reins of the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s volleyball team.
The school made the official announcement on July 10, and Rozema will guide the team as it concludes its run in Pacwest competition before joining the Canada West for the 2020-21 season.
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,” stated 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.
“I’m excited to join UFV and bring some strong female leadership to a group of strong women volleyball players,” Rozema said in a press release. “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.
Alberta finished with a record of 18-6 in Canada West action in 2018-19, and went on to earn that aforementioned national bronze.
Rozema takes over a Cascades team that finished 14-10 in the Pacwest regular season, but then lost in the quarter-finals of the playoffs to the Capilano Blues.
For more on the team, visit gocascades.ca.
