Vancouver Island University’s volleyball teams didn’t win provincial championships, but both remain in championship contention.
The VIU Mariners women’s and men’s v-ball teams both ended up with runner-up finishes at the Pacific Western Athletic Association championships this past weekend in Abbotsford. In both cases, second place will be enough for the M’s to earn wild-card berths into nationals.
VIU’s women had a tough go in the gold-medal match Saturday, losing in three sets to the top-seeded Douglas Royals, 25-20, 25-12, 25-20.
The Mariners women had gotten past the host Fraser Valley Cascades the previous day by scores of 25-21, 14-25, 25-16, 25-14.
Mikayla Wagner and Taylor Wickson were chosen tournament all-stars for the M’s.
The Mariners men, meanwhile, went into the tourney as the top seed but in the final they were bested by the four-time defending PacWest champion Camosun Chargers, 25-22, 26-24, 22-25, 25-14.
VIU had won its semifinal against Douglas by scores of 25-16, 25-22, 25-23.
Braydon Brouwer and Doug Groenendijk were selected as all-stars.
The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championships will be held March 7-10. VIU’s women will compete in Grande Prairie, Alta., at a national tournament hosted by Grande Prairie Regional College, while the VIU men won’t need to travel far for nationals at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence in Victoria. Camosun will be the host team for that tourney.
