Ben Chessor
The Navigator

The Mariners women’s volleyball team continued their hot play at the PacWest provincial championship held February 20-22 at the Capilano University Sportplex. The Mariners picked up the victory over the host Capilano Blues in the finals and will play at the Canadian Collegate Athletic Association National championship in Toronto March 5-8.

As the first place team in the PacWest the Mariners received a bye in the quarterfinals and took on their island rivals the Camosun Chargers in the semifinals. The Mariners got off to a strong start and took the early lead on the Chargers, and winning the first set 25-14. The Mariners continued their strong play in the second set and opened up a 2-0 lead on the Chargers with a 25-17 victory in the second set. The Chargers kept the third set close, but couldn’t stop the Mariners from picking up the sweep. VIU punched their ticket to championship game with a 25-21 win in the third set, and the 3-0 victory.

The Mariners continued their domination of the PacWest in the final against the host Capilano Blues. The first set was a back and forth nail-biter, but the Mariners would come away with the 27-25 win. In the second set the Mariners managed to open up a little breathing room, winning the second set 25-17. In the third set VIU made sure there wouldn’t be any miracle comeback, as the Mariners clinched the provincial title with a 25-16 set win and the 3-0 victory.

The provincial win continues what has been a dominant season for the Mariners. The team picked up a record of 22-2 during the regular season, which gave them first place in the PacWest standings. The Mariners have gotten better and better as the season has progressed, having only lost a total of four sets since the teams only two losses November 8-9 against the University of the Frasier Valley.

The Mariners will be the second ranked team at the CCAA Nationals in Toronto, which will be held from March 5-8, the Capilano Blues, who lost in the provincial finals, also gets a spot in the nationals. A total of eight teams qualified for the CCAA national championship. The Garneau Elans, who are making their seventh consecutive trip to nationals, come in to the tournament as the top seeded team. For more information on the CCAA national tournament visit ccaa.ca.

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