Home is Where the Heat Is: VIU will play for CCAA Bronze
The Mariners improve steadily through the first three days of the national tournament, dropping a 3-1 decision to Humber before winning 3-1 & 3-0 over Saint-Boniface and UAA
NANAIMO, BC - VIU women's volleyball will not play for a fifth consecutive national championship following a 3-1 quarterfinal loss to the Humber Hawks. However, the Mariners remain in contention for a national bronze medal at the CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship following victories over USB Les Rouges and the UAA Vikings.
Game recaps courtesy the CCAA
Quarterfinal: Humber Hawks 3, VIU Mariners 1
March 8, 2023
There will be a new champion in CCAA women's volleyball for the first time in five seasons as the Humber Hawks recovered after losing the first set to defeat the host Mariners 3-1 (24-26, 25-14, 25-22, 25-21).
VIU, fueled by a packed home gym, took the first set on some electrifying kills from outside hitters Jane Lytvynenko and Cassidy Kitchen. The Hawks did not back down in the slightest, taking the second set decisively with a balanced offense led by Keyome Ellis, Erika Dodd, and Cassidy Andrews.
While the Mariners showed pockets of inspired play, strong serving and a tough middle game from the Hawks won the day as they held tough through sets 3 and 4.
The 4Imprint Players of the Game were Ara Telan (Humber), who had a number of momentum-swinging kills and blocks, and setter Linnea Brickwood (VIU), who provided plenty of quality assists to the Mariners hitters.
Bronze Quarterfinal: VIU Mariners 3, Les Rouges de Saint-Boniface 1
March 9, 2023
The host Mariners gave their white and blue-clad fans a victory to celebrate with a 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 24-26, 25-15) win over the MCAC champion Saint-Boniface Les Rouges.
While VIU struggled with service errors, the team was able to keep Les Rouges on their heels when they had space in play to set up and attack. However, the MCAC champions never backed down as fifth-years Samuelle Lemoine and Bendu Dukuly made good on plenty of connections. Middle Félicia Martin-Ilunga also had a massive serving run, leading Les Rouges to a 26-24 third set win and a delirious roar from their "red wave" of travelling fans.
Les Rouges kept momentum early in the fourth set—starting out with a 3-1 lead—but VIU upped their block defense, led by Megan Duffy. After the score was tied at 10, the Mariners took charge and finished off the game with a big Jane Lytvynenko kill down the middle.
Two outstanding performances in the middle earned the 4Imprint Player of the Game nods: Duffy for VIU and Martin-Ilunga for Saint-Boniface.
Bronze Semifinal: VIU Mariners 3, Augustana Vikings 0
March 10, 2023
The host Mariners, buoyed by a raucous home crowd, returned to resembling the team that topped the CCAA rankings throughout the season in a 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-19) win over an athletic Vikings team with a solid cheering section of its own.
Early in the first set, Mariners libero Mika Yamada set the tone with a number of exceptional digs—including five touches before the first point was even counted. The Vikings' Shae Boyes continued her exceptional tournament with two consecutive aces to help the Vikings take an early lead, but three aces on four serves from VIU's Linnea Brickwood helped VIU retake a mid-set advantage. A devastating kill by Jane Lytvynenko off a desperation bump set by Yamada sealed the first set for the Mariners.
With UAA's DJ Molle and VIU's Megan Duffy locking down the middle, setters Brickwood and Sarah Dedrick kept pumping the ball outside for massive kills from VIU's Lytvynenko and Cassidy Kitchen and UAA's Boyes and Sarah Singular. Up 25-24, the Mariners got a combo block from Linnea Brickwood and Kayla Passmore to finish off set two.
The third set featured plenty of extended rallies and never-say-die plays. It remained close until, at 14-14, a serving run by Sophie Krupp gave VIU a 20-14 advantage and a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
The Mariners advance to a bronze medal matchup with the Humber Hawks on Saturday at 3 pm—the second time these teams will have faced each other in the tournament. The Vikings finish their first ever trip to a CCAA national championship with a 1-2 record and their win over Édouard-Montpetit standing as arguably the most entertaining game of the tournament.
UAA libero Rebecca Olenick and VIU outside hitter Jane Lytvynenko were named the 4Imprint Players of the Game.