Mariners Face Boomerang
The VIU Mariners open the CCAA Nationals on Thursday afternoon
The first PACWEST volleyball team to open the CCAA Nationals on Thursday will be the VIU Mariners (18-6) in Grande Prairie. They will face the RSEQ champion Andre-Laurendeau Boomerang (10-8) at 2:00pm PST.
The Mariners have medaled in five of the last seven CCAA women’s nationals including a bronze last season. They are coming off a loss in the PACWEST championship match, falling to the Douglas Royals in three straight. They have a balanced offence with weapons at each position led by power hitter and All-Canadian Mikayla Wagner who tallied 216 kills during the regular season and 27 kills during the PACWEST championship tournament.
Last season the Mariners faced a pair of teams from the RSEQ and swept them both 3-0 including Edouard-Montpetit in the bronze medal match. As a matter of fact they have won their last three meetings against a team from Quebec.
This year they face the Boomerang who captured their Conference title on their home floor with a four set victory over Garneau. Their 10 wins in the regular season put them into a three-way tie for second heading into the RSEQ Championship tournament.
They will give the Mariners all they can handle with a balanced offence. Libero Kelsey Hutt of the Mariners could play a major role in their backcourt as the CCAA’s digs per set leader, getting to 4.2 digs a match.