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The York School 2024/25 Year in Review - The Henson Sisters: Volleyball, Leadership and Team Spirit
The Henson sisters, Sophia ‘23 and twins Delfina and Sol ‘25, played a pivotal role in putting The York School’s Varsity Girls Volleyball team on the provincial map.
When the sisters joined York in Grade 9, they had been members of competitive volleyball clubs in the Greater Toronto Area for a number of years. In addition to their strong technical and tactical skills, the Hensons’ respect and support for their teammates, love of the game, focus on continuous improvement and competitive drive were tremendous assets to York’s Varsity Girls Volleyball team. In 2023, Sophia was the co-captain and had the opportunity to mentor her sisters (and their teammates) in a formal capacity. Two years later, co-captains Delfina and Sol led the team to the school’s first ever team sport medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) – a silver medal in the A division (for high schools with 450 or fewer students.)
Sophia, Delfina and Sol say they chose York for its co-ed learning environment, IB program, and willingness to provide accommodations that made it possible for them to travel for games with national indoor volleyball teams. “The course work in the IB program is demanding and our teachers helped us succeed. By providing assignments in advance, recording classes or giving extensions if needed, and being available for extra help, they made sure we didn’t fall behind on anything,” says Delfina. During the 2024-25 school year, Delfina and Sol needed to miss classes to participate in tournaments in Edmonton, Vancouver, Las Vegas and Washington D.C.
In 2019 when Sophia joined the team, she found a group of talented athletes who were playing at a level of competition that was new for York. One of the co-captains was Julie Murmann ‘20, who was already a well-known national player, and the team had competed at OFSAA for the first time. Fostering the team’s development and potential was a priority for York’s Director of Athletics Rick Demarinis (Mr. D.) and volleyball coach Derek Lam.
In 2019 when Sophia joined the team, she found a group of talented athletes who were playing at a level of competition that was new for York. One of the co-captains was Julie Murmann ‘20, who was already a well-known national player, and the team had competed at OFSAA for the first time. Fostering the team’s development and potential was a priority for York’s Director of Athletics Rick Demarinis (Mr. D.) and volleyball coach Derek Lam.
Delfina and Sol were happy to see the girls’ volleyball program evolve even further during their time at the school, and to observe an increased interest in both playing on and cheering for girls’ teams. “There were more events promoting our games and a lot of people came out to watch us play. More girls are trying out for teams because they want to be part of the community,” says Delfina.
The twins appreciated being able to collaborate with York’s Athletics staff to shape developments in the volleyball program. “We could be really open with Mr. D. and Mr. Lam about our vision for the sport, and they took our advice,” says Sol. For example, when the twins told Mr. Lam that they wanted to work on strength training, he designed custom workout plans for the team to do outside of practice, and he ran through all the steps with them.
The twins appreciated being able to collaborate with York’s Athletics staff to shape developments in the volleyball program. “We could be really open with Mr. D. and Mr. Lam about our vision for the sport, and they took our advice,” says Sol. For example, when the twins told Mr. Lam that they wanted to work on strength training, he designed custom workout plans for the team to do outside of practice, and he ran through all the steps with them.
The summer of 2025 was a busy one for the Hensons. Sol competed in the world indoor volleyball championship as a member of Canada’s under 19 team, Sophia completed a marketing internship with the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and all three sisters played beach volleyball (Delfina was a Canadian Beach National Champion in 2023 and 2024). Now they’re at university on volleyball scholarships. Sophia is at Queen’s in the third year of an Economics degree program with a minor in Business. Delfina and Sol just started their first year at the University of British Columbia, where Sol is studying Business and Delfina is majoring in Psychology. The twins are thrilled to still be playing on the same team.
As the first Henson sister to enter university, Sophia is grateful that when her parents encouraged her to choose the IB program at York, they were looking ahead to her university education. “They really wanted me to be ahead when I started university. Doing the IB helped a ton. My first two years in university were building on what I’d already learned in high school. I have friends at university who were overwhelmed by the change from high school to university, but I had a really good transition,” says Sophia.
Pictured: The Henson Sisters: Sol '25, Sophia '23 and Delfina '25.
As the first Henson sister to enter university, Sophia is grateful that when her parents encouraged her to choose the IB program at York, they were looking ahead to her university education. “They really wanted me to be ahead when I started university. Doing the IB helped a ton. My first two years in university were building on what I’d already learned in high school. I have friends at university who were overwhelmed by the change from high school to university, but I had a really good transition,” says Sophia.
Pictured: The Henson Sisters: Sol '25, Sophia '23 and Delfina '25.
