From Ulaanbaatar to U of T: Volleyball player charts a path to the Varsity Blues

An international student from Mongolia, Munkh-Orgil Tserenjamts played competitive soccer before discovering his passion for volleyball – and is now charting a path for others as a member of the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues. 

“What makes me most proud is becoming, as far as I know, one of the first Mongolian athletes to play varsity-level sport in Canada,” says Tserenjamts, an outside hitter and libero, or defensive specialist, for the team.

Growing up in the capital of Ulaanbaatar, Tserenjamts found his way onto the Blues without going through the same club and prep systems as many of his Canadian teammates.

“My daily routine was simple: school, practice, home, repeat,” says Tserenjamts, who studies computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science as member of St. Michael’s College.

The hard work paid off. At his first major national tournament, Tserenjamts’s team placed fifth and he was named a “rising athlete.”  

Then, at an under-18 national championship, his team went undefeated. "I remember blocking the final ball and running in circles with my teammates celebrating,” he says. “That moment is frozen in my mind.”

Tserenjamts had a lot of support along the way.

He remembers his parents working multiple jobs to ensure their children wouldn’t lack for education or opportunity.

“My dad helped me with everything, especially my hardest math and physics homework, and drove me to practices almost every day,” he says. “My mom raised me with unconditional love and care.”

Some of his most cherished childhood memories involved family trips.

“Every year, my family and I would travel together to Mongolia's beautiful countryside,” he says. “We would camp wherever we wanted, setting up tents and staying close to nature. 

“During those trips, I spent my days freely playing on the open steppe and riding horses. Those experiences gave me a strong sense of independence and freedom.”

For Tserenjamts, trips away from the city with his family brought valuable lessons. He recounts a trip to his father’s hometown where they rode horseback for hours to a sacred mountain. 

“That was when I first understood what Mongolians call 'khiimori,' a kind of spiritual energy and pride you feel when riding freely in nature,” he says. “It's one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.” 

With such strong roots in his country, culture and family, Tserenjamts says he found it difficult to leave home to start a new chapter in Canada.

“One of the hardest moments was saying goodbye at the airport,” he says. “It was emotionally very heavy.

“I'm especially proud and grateful for my parents, who have always supported me and stood behind me throughout this entire journey.”

Arriving in Toronto meant starting from scratch while balancing volleyball training with computer science courses.

Naturally introverted, he says he initially struggled to ask for help – but ultimately began to reach out.

“I started opening up more, talking to professors and classmates and planning my schedule carefully,” he says. “Once I became more structured and proactive, everything improved. Coach John Barrett and the Varsity Blues team supported and guided me a lot during that time.”

While Tserenjamts’s current routine is reminiscent of the one he employed during his high school days in Mongolia – school, practice, home, repeat – he now performs it with the knowledge that he’s representing his country on a new stage.

“I hope my journey can inspire other young athletes back home to believe this path is possible for them, too.”