The VIU Mariners womenB次元官网网址檚 volleyball program won a national championship, then repeated, then three-peated, and have now made it four on the floor.
Vancouver Island University captured a fourth-straight Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championship this past weekend on Prince Edward Island, defeating the Douglas Royals three sets to one in the gold-medal match Sunday, March 27.
Even during a dynasty, the path to a national title is different each year. This year the Mariners were defeated in the PacWest provincial final by the Royals and relied on a wild-card berth to get to the CCAA championships.
B次元官网网址淲hen we lost in the PacWest finals, we knew that we werenB次元官网网址檛 100 per cent and it was weird, everybody kind of gave up on our team B次元官网网址� nobody really talked about how we were three-time national champs and how we were ranked No. 1 all season,B次元官网网址� said Shane Hyde, VIU coach.
He said the Mariners didnB次元官网网址檛 mind B次元官网网址渉iding in the shadows,B次元官网网址� though, and knew that they still had every opportunity in their season-long pursuit of a B次元官网网址渓egendaryB次元官网网址� achievement.
The Mariners defeated the Lynx dB次元官网网址櫭塪ouard-Montpetit in the quarterfinals three sets to one, then played B次元官网网址渁ir-tightB次元官网网址� volleyball in the semifinals to beat a tough Red Deer Queens team in straight sets.
The MB次元官网网址檚 didnB次元官网网址檛 play their best in the final, said the coach, but played with a championship mentality and won 25-22, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23.
B次元官网网址淲e definitely had this attitude that we werenB次元官网网址檛 going to let it slip away,B次元官网网址� Hyde said.
He said the team was B次元官网网址減retty flooredB次元官网网址� to win a fourth-straight title B次元官网网址� tied for the longest streak in CCAA history B次元官网网址� and he noted that veterans such as Danielle Groenendijk and Kayla Passmore are now graduating after five years with four championships and one season lost to COVID-19.
B次元官网网址淎ll theyB次元官网网址檝e known is winning. ThereB次元官网网址檚 nothing else on their resum茅 other than a national championship. ItB次元官网网址檚 pretty outstanding,B次元官网网址� the coach said.
Groenendijk, Linnea Brickwood and Jane Lytvynenko were chosen tournament all-stars, with Lytvynenko winning MVP honours. The outside hitter, who is from Ukraine, had missed most of provincials as the Russian invasion and concern for her family were foremost in her thoughts, , she turned her focus to volleyball for nationals.
B次元官网网址淭here was no question from anybody at that tournament who was going to be MVP. She was heads and tails above every single player at nationalsB次元官网网址次元官网网址� Hyde said. B次元官网网址淪he was getting 20 kills a match and having a great time and just kind of putting real life on pause for a minute.B次元官网网址�
While Lytvynenko was the star, winning was a team effort and there were some Mariners who gained their first experience at nationals and saw what it takes to reach the tournament and win at that level.
B次元官网网址淭hey can pass it on for the next era of Mariner womenB次元官网网址檚 volleyball athletes,B次元官网网址� Hyde said. B次元官网网址淭he fact that weB次元官网网址檝e won nationals and theyB次元官网网址檝e seen the success of our process to get there, now theyB次元官网网址檝e bought in again and theyB次元官网网址檙e so excited that weB次元官网网址檝e already started it: a drive for five.B次元官网网址�
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