A brand new Mount Royal University (MRU) Cougars season is on the horizon for women’s volleyball and for the 2025-26 season, tensions are up, excitement is in the air and the drive to compete is at an all-time high.
The Calgary Journal spoke with two of the players who make up this year’s team.
Meet outside hitter Bronwynn Davies-Neira
Fourth-year outside hitter Bronwynn Davies-Neira is one of the many standout players who make up this highly-competitive team.
Davies-Neira, entering what is likely her final year of eligibility, has been a star for MRU ever since she joined the squad for the 2021-22 season, when they were crowned USports champions.
Davies-Neira comes from New Castle, Ont., a small town with a population of about 9,000 people. A strong family of athletics fueled her love and passion towards sports, and more specifically, the game of volleyball.
“Newcastle is a village, it’s literally called the village, it is so small. But I always grew up in rural communites. I used to be on a farm when I was younger, so it’s funny because Newcastle to me was a big jump from farm life to city life,” said Davies-Neira.
For Davies-Neira, the love for the game of volleyball stemmed from her family’s history and exceptional contributions to the sport.
This influence made it easy for Davies-Neira to follow the path so many members of her family had walked and found success in.
But there was one figure in her family that stood out the most, and that was her late uncle Ken.
” My Uncle Ken, he passed away when he was 18, but he was, in our community, so big into volleyball,” said Davies-Neira.
“There were memorials dedicated to him in the [Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA)], and there is an award for best sportsmanship that’s named after my uncle, so that legacy to me was so important.”
“Being in the OVA and being able to see my uncle’s name everywhere was so awesome,” she added.
With a newfound drive, Davies-Neira’s journey began in her youth, where she worked her way up the ranks in high school, eventually being recruited to Mount Royal University.
“For while I was deciding if I wanted to go to the States or if I wanted to stay in Canada. It was between UB and MRU. Decided to come to MRU obviously, which was the best choice ever,” said Davies-Neira
Since joining the Cougars, Davies-Neira has been outstanding.
She has turned into a cornerstone for MRU’s volleyball culture both on and off the court, dominating in games but also showcasing leadership, mentorship and friendship to her teammates with whom she holds unbreakable bonds.
“They’re such good, energetic women, and I see so much of myself in them. One thing I love about them is how outspoken they are,” said Davies-Neira.
“They’re not shy to voice their opinions whatsoever, which is something I like. I think that’s so important for girls their age. I love it and want to harness it as much as I can.”
Meet middle Faith Obasi
One of the most prominent players Davies-Neira has taken under her wing has been Faith Obasi, third-year middle.
Obasi’s journey to MRU is a unique case. She is a born and raised Calgary athlete who comes from Notre Dame High School as a basketball player.
Obasi played basketball all through high school until her senior year, when she caught some eyes, and to her surprise, began playing volleyball.
“I tried out for the senior team for volleyball, and the coach at the time came up to me and asked if I played volleyball at the time,” said Obasi.
Little did she know that the same coach reached out to the University of Calgary Dinos junior club team in an attempt to get her into the game of volleyball.
“They came to watch a game. They obviously liked what they saw, and ended up inviting me to their club team,” Obasi explained. “I had to beg my parents a little bit. I was like, please, please, I really want to try this out, because at the end of the day, I want to be an athlete for as long as I can. I think it’s super important to have sports for life.”
Luckily for Obasi, her parents soon got on board, and her career as a volleyball player began to blossom.
After some development working on the transition from being a basketball player to a volleyball player with the U17 Dinos, she soon joined the Cougars as a recruit for the 2023-24 season.
Obasi’s cheerful and energetic personality fit right in with MRU’s high-spirited volleyball team. What makes Obasi special is how she also supports and sets an example for her teammates.
“From knowing [Obasi] in her first year to now, I’ve noticed such a difference in her demeanour in practice and her outlook on life, which I think is really cool to see,” said Davies-Neira.
“For me, I do it for those who can’t. To know how blessed you are and not have to fight for your right for a sport.”
Faith Obasi
There has been steady growth in Obasi’s game over her last two years with the team, to the point where she is seriously competing for a starting position on the 2025-26 Cougars roster.
For Obasi, she has welcomed the process of development and stayed patient for her time to shine.
“I am not doing this for the accolades or glory,” Obasi explained. “I am doing this for the glory of God, and it keeps you humble. You don’t get to decide your plan. He decides it for you, so you just have to take it one day at a time and see what he reveals to you.”
While Obasi is eager to perform, she has a great deal of humility, which keeps her grounded as she continues to progress in her career as an MRU Cougar.
“For me, I do it for those who can’t. To know how blessed you are and not have to fight for your right for a sport,” she said.
For Obasi, it is about giving back and being a light for people who do not have the same opportunities as she does to play a sport she loves.
Both of these amazing women bring an upbeat, energetic and competitive dynamic to the team that helps shape this team’s unshakeable winning identity.
As their season begins, look for these two to make a dramatic impact on the women’s volleyball squad, both on and off the court.
Women’s volleyball starts its quest for a USports championship on Oct. 24 for the season opener at Mount Royal University.
