Member Monday - VIU Mariners

The VIU Mariners have been a proud member of the PACWST since the Conference was born in 1970 as the Totem Conference. At that time VIU was named Malaspina College.

The College in Nanaimo first formed in July of 1968 and finally opened its doors the following year. The name Malaspina comes from the explorer Commodore Alejandro Malaspina who was an Italian explorer working as a naval officer for the King of Spain in the late eighteenth century. His exploits were many, but the most famous was the scientific expedition which he planned, organized and carried out. This project was called the “Plan of a Scientific and Political Voyage Around the World.” The expedition brought him to the Pacific Ocean and the west coast of Canada during the five year period, 1789-1794. His name, Malaspina, for the new college seemed appropriate since in a real sense the founding of the college required a scientific and political voyage which was equally creative and audacious, and which charted unknown territory.

When Malaspina College first opened in 1969 the school was populated by 638 students, a number that grew very rapidly and just two years later in 1971 the school had doubled with 1294 students enrolled.

Athletics was also introduced in the school’s first year of operation with basketball, rugby, soccer and hockey teams. Volleyball was introduced in 1974 and the Mariners have never looked back.

The soccer program saw success in the very first year of the Totem Conference. The men’s team claimed gold and as a matter fact won three straight Conference titles. The women’s soccer program didn’t launch until the 1981-82 season and the Mariners were again hot out of the gate, winning gold.

Basketball and volleyball took a bit longer in their existence to taste a Conference medal. The men’s basketball team won their first medal in the 1981-82 season winning gold. The women’s team won a bronze in 1983-84 while the men’s volleyball team captured silver. The women’s volleyball program which today is a perennial powerhouse won gold, their first Conference medal in the 1990-91 season.

During the summer of 2008 Malaspina was designated a university under an amendment of the University Act and officially began operation as Vancouver Island University on September 1st of that year. The institution now runs smoothly out of four difference centers on the Island including Nanaimo (main campus), Parksville-Qualicum Center, the Powell River Campus and Cowichan Campus in Duncan.

Athletically the Mariners have excelled since winning their first Conference medals and are the most decorated institution in the PACWEST. The following are the Conference gold medals each team has won:

Women’s Soccer – seven Conference gold medals and one national championship
Men’s Soccer – seven Conference gold medals and three national championships
Women’s Volleyball – 18 Conference gold medals and six national championships
Men’s Volleyball – six Conference gold medals
Women’s Basketball – five Conference gold medals and one national championship
Men’s Basketball – seven Conference gold medals and three national championships

The Mariners athletic department is led by interim Director Danielle Hyde who knows all about winning championships after playing volleyball for Malaspina from 1997-2001 winning four Conference gold medals along with a national silver and bronze. She has been the interim since February, a month before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her current role Danielle had been in the athletics and recreation department for 15 years. She has seen firsthand the program grow and change over the years. Perhaps the biggest change was in 2008 when the College moved to a University. She has also seen participation from International students increase dramatically, due in large part to the support the students receive from the international department on campus. The quality of athletes/people they have been able to attract from all over the world is really special and has brought some diversity and culture to the Mariners’ clubs.

One of the most attractive pieces for Canadians to move to the Island is weather and hidden gems for the nature lovers. Also what makes VIU unique is that most athletes move to Nanaimo from outside of the local community, so instantly become family with their teams. They have an incredible fan base and usually have full bleachers at home games and class sizes are small enough that instructors know students by name.

Student athletes at VIU usually find themselves in the hunt for a PACWEST title and even a CCAA national championship whether travelling to other parts of Canada to compete or trying to secure their home pitch/court. In 2012 the women’s volleyball team and in 2015 the men’s soccer club did just that by winning national gold on campus. Had COVID-19 not cancelled all events the Mariners women’s basketball team was looking to add their name to that exclusive list as the hosts of the CCAA nationals back in March.

Quick VIU Facts:
Enrolment – 14,500
Location – 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo
President – Deborah Saucier

Inside Athletics:
Danielle Hyde – Interim Athletic Director
Brent Dunlop – Sports Information Director
Shayna Halsall – Athletics Coordinator

Current Head Coaches:
MBB - Matt Kuzminski – since 2012
WBB - Tony Bryce – since 2018, He was the men’s coach from 2006-2012
MVB – Abe Avender – since 2012
WVB – Shane Hyde – since 2002
MSOC – Larry Stefanek – since 2017
WSOC – Kevin Lindo – since 2017
Golf – Mike Hrabowych – since 2018

Outstanding Alumni
WVB – Jamie Broder – represented Canada in beach volleyball during the Rio Olympics
MBB – Andrew Kaban