Fresh Starts: Julia Lenik Brings Experience and New Energy to Canisius Volleyball

By: Paige Apps, Sports Reporter

After losing eight members of the 2024 roster, the volleyball team had plenty of spots to fill for a new season. For redshirt Julia Lenik, this 2025 season isn’t just her debut at Canisius – it’s a fresh start. 

After transferring from Towson and returning from injury, the outside hitter hailing from Poland is embracing this new chapter both personally and with her team.“I would definitely say that [preseason] was my new beginning, because I came back from shoulder surgery, so that was my new start,” Lenik said, continuing, “I’m very appreciative that I had the chance to do that, I kind of had to build my confidence back after [surgery].”

Just as her teammates have supported her on the court and with her transition to Canisius, Lenik believes her background as an international player has the opportunity to support her team on the court in various ways. “I feel like I bring support and experience to the team. I’ve played different levels, I’ve played different volleyballs,” she said. “In Europe, you play different levels, different roles, different everything. So I think that can help us to be different.”

The connection between coach and player is an ever-evolving relationship in the era of NIL and the transfer portal. For any incoming transfer, the decision to commit to a team rests on that connection, but it’s especially important for a transfer who hasn’t had close connections with coaches in the past. “As soon as I had that first call with Coach Tom [Hanna], I felt safe. I felt like he had my back, he understands me and how I think and feel about that sort of stuff,” Lenik explained. “Unfortunately, in my career with previous coaches, I didn’t have that… the line is very thin between just not having trust and mentally breaking down. So that was definitely something that helped me.”

After the team struggled in early-season non-conference games, Lenik is looking forward to the beginning of MAAC play and seeing how the Griffs stack up against their all-too-familiar opponents. “To be honest, I never ever had a chance to watch the [MAAC] teams. I’m very excited to see what the level of this conference is and I can’t wait for that. I know we have a lot of chances to win, we just need to come up there and show what we can actually do,” she stated.

While the road to Canisius has been anything but ordinary for Lenik, her fresh start might be the key ingredient on the court to create something special for the Blue and Gold. The Griffs open the MAAC slate at home against Iona on Friday, followed by Manhattan on Saturday for Griff Weekend.

Photo Courtesy of Canisius Athletics