Quarterfinal Preview: Chargers vs. Avalanche

The PACWEST Volleyball Provincial Championships will open Thursday afternoon at 1:00pm when the #3 seed Camosun Chargers battle the #6 seed COTR Avalanche.

This is the second consecutive season and third all-time playoff meeting between these two schools.  The Chargers have won the previous two meetings, sweeping the Avalanche each time in three sets.

This season however the Avalanche have taken three of the four matches dropping just two sets.

Kelsey Thompson has been the biggest factor for the Avs collecting an even 40 kills in the seasonal series as well helping defensively with 64 digs not allowing the Charger offence much space.  

As good as Thompson has been, she’ll need help and the Avs will need secondary scoring.  Taylor Forster has been solid in this series, but will need to step up even more.  Against the Chargers she has recorded 29 kills.

The Avalanche limp into the Provincials losing four of their last six.  As a matter of fact, their lone wins this month have been against the Chargers in Cranbrook on February 5-6th.

The Chargers are also limping into the championship tournament losing four straight matches to conclude the regular season, winning just three total sets.

Both Michelle Zygmunt and Kathryn Fetting have cooled off after a hot regular season.  In the last four matches they have combined for just 33 kills.  This after Zygmunt finished second in the PACWEST with 296 kills and 348 total offensive points.  Against the Avalanche this season Zygmunt was solid with 52 kills.

In the seasonal series the Chargers have had the better offence, outhitting the Avalanche 153-135, but the defence has been a different story.  The net play by the Avalanche has slowed the Chargers big hitters.  They have out blocked the Chargers 38-21, including the February 5th match which they tallied 21 blocks.

This match should be a very close quarterfinal, unlike the last time these two schools met in the first round.  Back in 2000 the Chargers swept the Avs 3-0.

The Chargers and Avalanche will open the 2016 women’s volleyball Provincial Championship at 1:00pm on the campus of Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford on Thursday.