A Dash For Gold

The final six women's teams are ready to make a run at PACWEST GOLD. Here is a closer look at the teams that will open the Championship beginning on Thursday.

#1 Douglas College Royals

The Royals have been hungry all season after coming so close last year at a berth at the CCAA National championship finishing with a PACWEST silver. This season the Royals enter the tournament on an 11 match winning streak and were forced to a fifth set just twice. During this streak they collected six-three set sweeps. Head Coach Jeff Ross is in just his second season and has a record of 38-10.

PACWEST Record: 21-3
Sets – 66-26
Home – 10-2, Road – 11-1

Players To Watch:

6 Vania Oliveira: An incredible season for the Brazilin who finished the regular season averaging over three kills a set. She tallied 293 total offensive points and 39 blocks as well. When the Royals seemingly needed something to happen Oliveira delivered.

14 Caet McCorkell: Just a rookie, but she played like a veteran this past season. She tallied over three kills a set and was one of only two athletes with over 300 kills. In all she tallied 366 total offensive points and 42 service aces this year and was an excellent 1-2 punch with Oliveira.

7 Vicki Schley: In her fourth season she’s the most experience on the Royals roster. She was another strong option on the offensive side with 222 kills and was very smart defensively with 239 digs.

Longest Conference winning streak – 11 straight matches from January 6 – February 17

Last FIVE playoff Matches:
2017 – PACWEST Gold Medal Match – Loss – 3-0 VIU Mariners
2017 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Win – 3-2 Capilano Blues
2016 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 3-1 UFV Cascades
2015 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 3-0 VIU Mariners
2014 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 3-0 Capilano Blues

2017-2018 Record at UFV (site of the Provincial championships)
November 11 – 3-1
November 10 – 3-1

#2 VIU Mariners

They are the defending PACWEST champs and CCAA bronze medalists looking to earn another berth at the national championships. The Mariners are the most decorated PACWEST program with 16 titles, including winning last year on their home floor.

PACWEST Record: 18-6
Sets – 59-28
Home – 9-3, Road – 9-3

Players To Watch:

2 Mikayla Wagner: Once again was a force at the net for the Mariners this past season. She tallied 216 kills and 257 total offensive points to lead her club and will no doubt again garner All-Canadian consideration in her fourth season.

17 Andrea Cankovic: With Wagner on the right side, Cankovic has been a solid compliment on the left side offensively for the Mariners. She has also been dynamite from the service line with 40 aces this past regular season. She is one of those servers that can string together multiple points in a hurry.

12 Kelsey Hutt: The only athlete to collect over four digs a set and finish with 315 in the 75 sets she played. When the opposition gets around the block Hutt is seemingly always there in the right position.

Longest Conference winning streak – 6 straight matches from October 13 – November 4

Last FIVE playoff Matches:
2017 – CCAA Bronze Medal Match – Win – 3-1 GPRC Wolves
2017 – CCAA Bronze Semi-Final – Win – 3-0 Lynx d’Edouard-Montpetit
2017 – CCAA Semi-Final – Loss – 3-1 Lakeland Rustlers
2017 – CCAA Quarterfinal – Win -3-0 Cavaliers de Bois-de-Boulogne
2017 – PACWEST Gold Medal Match – Win 3-0 Douglas Royals

2017-2018 Record at UFV (site of the Provincial championships)
February 3 – 1-3
February 2 – 3-1

#3 UFV Cascades

A year ago the Cascades finished fifth and made an early exit at the PACWEST championship. This year however they are hoping a little home cookin’ can help score a medal, something they have not won since their national gold in 2013. It’s the first time in school history that the Cascades have hosted the PACWEST volleyball championships.

PACWEST Record: 13-11
Sets – 47-42
Home – 7-5, Road – 6-6

Players To Watch:

9 Amanda Matsui: In just her rookie season she collected 242 kills and 316 total offensive points. She led the PACWEST with 52 service aces. She was also very responsible on defence assisting with 233 digs.

12 Kim Bauder: As a fourth year veteran she knows how to pick apart a defence. She recorded 229 kills this past season and 280 total offensive points. Like Matsui she has a power serve that collected 28 aces and added 290 digs.

10 Olivia Heinen: She’s kept the offence on track as a rookie setter. She’s averaged 9.4 assists a set and has been particularly outstanding in the second half of the season exceeding 40 set assists in five matches since Christmas.

Longest Conference winning streak – 3 straight matches from October 12-20

Last FIVE playoff Matches:

2017 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 3-1 COTR Avalanche
2016 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Match – Loss – 3-0 Capilano Blues
2016 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 3-1 VIU Mariners
2016 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Win – 3-1 Douglas College Royals
2015 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 3-2 COTR Avalanche

#4 Capilano Blues

Last season the Blues once again finished with a PACWEST bronze medal for the third straight year as the third seed. They are hungry for a different medal here in 2018 and will look to turn things around as of late. They limp into the post season with just three wins in their last eight matches. They will face a CBC Bearcat team that they beat in three of their four meetings this year.

PACWEST Record: 13-11
Sets – 51-33
Home – 7-5, Road – 6-6

Players To Watch:

10 Tyneille Neufeld: She’s been the Blues offence for most of the season compiling 228 kills and 258 total offensive points. As one of the leaders she’s also very responsible on the defensive side with 178 digs.

4 Emma Schill: She started to heat up near the end of the season and finished with over two kills a set and 240 offensive points, 12th most in the PACWEST; all this in just her rookie season.

12 Courtney Becker: Another rookie that has made valuable plays for the Blues this season. On the service line she has 15 service aces but at the net she is among the leaders in blocks per set sitting with 29 stuffs.

Longest Conference winning streak – 6 straight matches from November 17 to January 13.

Last FIVE playoff Matches:
2017 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Match – Win – 3-0 COTR Avalanche
2017 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 3-2 Douglas Royals
2017 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Win – 3-2 Camosun Chargers
2016 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Match – Win – 3-0 UFV Cascades
2016 – PACWEST Semi-finals – Loss – 3-1 COTR Avalanche

2017-2018 Record at UFV (site of the Provincial championships)
October 21 – 3-2
October 20 – 1-3

#5 CBC Bearcats

For the first time in three seasons the Bearcats are back in the PACWEST playoffs. They were able to turn their season around after starting 0-7 and didn’t get their first win until Remembrance Day. From there they won five straight and finished the season with four wins in a row. They will face the Capilano Blues in Thursday’s quarterfinal.

PACWEST Record: 11-13
Sets – 45-50
Home – 6-6, Road – 5-7

Players To Watch:

1 Jodi Enns: One of the best players across the PACWEST this season and the only player to collect over 400 kills. Her total of 410 kills where an incredible 106 more than the next player. Along with her kill total she tallied 47 aces, second most in the PACWEST and even collected 320 digs. She will be relied upon heavily this tournament.

2 Cheyenne Heidebrecht: To take some pressure off Enns, Heidebrecht will need to play well in the quarterfinal. She collected 181 kills and 211 total offensive points.

10 Julia Weiss: Her 315 digs was third most in the entire CCAA showing her tremendous grit making big plays at big times. She was a key player in serve receive, making 615 passes and averaged less than one error per set.

Longest Conference winning streak – 5 straight matches from November 11 – November 25

Last FIVE playoff Matches:
2014 – PACWEST Quarterfinal - Loss – 3-2 – Camosun Chargers
2013 – PACWEST Gold Medal Match – Loss – 3-0 – UFV Cascades
2013 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Win – 3-2 – VIU Mariners
2013 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Win – 3-0 Douglas Royals
2012 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Match – Loss – 3-0 – Capilano Blues

2017-2018 Record at UFV (site of the Provincial championships)
February 3 – 3-1
October 13 – 1-3

#6 COTR Avalanche

Just two seasons removed from their first ever PACWEST title, the Avalanche are hoping history repeats itself. In 2016 they were the sixth seed with the PACWEST championship in the city of Abbotsford. This season it’s a different campus, but same city. They will face the host Cascades in Thursday’s quarterfinal in a rematch of last year’s opening round match.

PACWEST Record: 7-17
Sets – 31-61
Home – 5-7, Road – 2-10

Players To Watch:

9 Alexa Koshman: In her final PACWEST tournament she has led her team emotionally this season. Due to injuries Koshman has played libero, power and setter showing her tremendous athleticism. She averaged more than three digs and two kills a set.

1 Megan Beckett: She’s been the offensive threat for the Avs with 245 kills and 275 offensive points. She’ll need to be a force if the Avs are hoping to beat the third seeded Cascades in Thursday’s quarterfinal in front of a rocking crowd.

10 Abigail Horch: As the middle she will need to slow down the middle attack of the Cascades. She led the Avalanche in blocks this season with 29.

Longest Conference winning streak – 2 straight matches on October 20-21

Last FIVE playoff Matches:
2017 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Match – Loss – 3-0 Capilano Blues
2017 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 3-0 VIU Mariners
2017 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Win – 3-1 UFV Cascades
2016 – CCAA 7th Place Match – Win – 3-1 MSVU
2016 – CCAA Bronze Quarterfinals – Loss – 3-2 Holland Hurricanes

2017-2018 Record at UFV (site of the Provincial championships)
November 19 – 0-3
November 18 – 1-3