Hamilton, Ont. — McMaster Athletics will welcome back a key piece of its recent success, as Devan O'Connor returns to the Marauders women's volleyball program as Lead Assistant Coach.

O'Connor has spent the past two seasons with the program, playing an instrumental role in a dominant stretch that saw McMaster capture the OUA championship in 2024-25 and follow it with a silver medal finish in 2025-26. Her return ensures continuity for a program that has established itself as one of the conference's top contenders.

"Hiring Devan is huge for our program," said Head Coach Nathan Janzen. "She already understands who we are and how we operate, so having her in a full-time role brings continuity, trust, and a higher level of day-to-day support for our athletes. She's made a big impact on both our results and our culture, and this gives her the opportunity to do even more. It's also important to me that we continue to build and support women in coaching, and Devan is ready to take that next step and help grow that legacy."

O'Connor's return is supported through the Coaches Association of Ontario Coaching Enhancement Initiative, a provincial grant program that provides funding to post-secondary institutions to employ and develop female assistant coaches. The initiative is designed to increase the number of women in coaching while preparing them for future leadership roles in high-performance sport.

Across her previous tenure at McMaster, O'Connor contributed to all aspects of the program, including practice planning, opponent scouting, video analysis, recruiting, and athlete development. Her impact extended beyond results, helping foster a culture built on accountability, connection, and growth.

Reflecting on her time with the Marauders so far, O'Connor pointed to the program's championship run as a defining moment.

"One of my absolute favourite memories was winning an OUA championship in my first season as an assistant coach with the program in 2024. It was the conclusion of an amazing season filled with so many fun memories, like our program's trip to Florida that winter, or our comeback OUA quarter-final win against Waterloo. It was a year of volleyball I will never forget, and I was so lucky to have experienced it in my first season as an OUA assistant coach."

For O'Connor, the people within the program remain the foundation of what makes McMaster special.

"It will always be the people. I have said this from the first day I started here, how lucky I was to be a part of a coaching staff and program as unique as the one at Mac. This is a group of people who genuinely care about each other and the people that they work with. Those who constantly put others before themselves and strive to be the best versions of themselves every day. On top of that, I get to be surrounded by an amazing group of student-athletes who inspire me every single day."

Now stepping into a full-time lead assistant role, O'Connor is eager for what comes next.

"What excites me most about this opportunity is how rare it is to build a career around something you genuinely love, alongside people who share that same level of passion and purpose. Since arriving at McMaster two years ago, this school, program, and people instantly felt like home. Having a place where I can combine that sense of belonging with a high-performance and high-compete environment makes an opportunity like this incredibly special to me."

"To be able to share both the office and gym with mentors like Nate and Tim (Louks), people who I look up to and have had such a profound impact on shaping volleyball in our community, is something I will never take for granted. I am so excited to be in a place where I will constantly be challenged, grow, and develop to be the very best version of myself both personally and professionally."

With O'Connor back on the bench, the Marauders add experience, familiarity, and proven success as they look to build on back-to-back-back OUA finals appearances and continue their pursuit of championships.