After a loss in the semis, VIU Mariners women's volleyball team finished on a high note at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association women's volleyball championships.
VIU won its bronze-medal match Saturday, March 8, in Oshawa, Ont., beating the 脡lans de Garneau from Quebec City three sets to one. After losing the first set 25-21, VIU tied it at 25-22, before winning 25-20 and 25-16. Grace Brisebois was named the Mariners' player of the game.
The Mariners punched their ticket to the bronze-medal match sweeping host Durham Lords 3-0 on Friday, March 7, winning 25-15, 25-17, 25-17.
Shane Hyde, VIU head coach, said his team played hard in its final match much like it did all tournament long.
"Every match we played at this tournament, all four matches, we had to dig in and battle," Hyde told the News Bulletin. "Garneau has probably three of the best outside hitters, big, big hitters. At first we had to get adjusted. And then once we dug in and started playing our style, we took over."
Despite a comeback attempt in its semifinal Thursday, March 6, VIU lost 3-2 to Toronto's Humber Hawks. VIU dropped the first two 25-21,25-17 before tying it up with scores of 25-12, 25-18. Ultimately they lost the last set 16-14.
Despite missing out on the championship, Hyde referred to it as a "glass half-full" situation.
"Obviously Humber squeaked through, and we had to play on this end," Hyde said. "I'm happy with doing the best we could do, but definitely it is bit bittersweet, because we know that we wanted a crack at the title. Sometimes that's sport, when two good teams go at it, and we missed out by just a hair."
The coach said the team would take some time to savour the top-three finish before looking ahead.
"We'll have some time to debrief and and do some wind-ups. Take some time off for the summer, and then back at it and going to do it again."
The Mariners finished the regular season with a 19-1 record in the Pacific Western Athletic Association, then won the PacWest title Feb. 22 on home court.
The Lakeland Rustlers won the national championship, defeating Humber three sets to one in the gold-medal match.
