It鈥檚 not often that a team on course for a third-straight conference championship is in a position to take a back seat, but that certainly could be the case with the Camosun College volleyball programs.
Coach Charles Parkinson鈥檚 men鈥檚 team will be in search of a conference three-peat when play commences tonight at the PISE gym, but it鈥檚 coach Chris Dahl鈥檚 women鈥檚 Chargers who will ultimately take centre stage as they play host to the Canadian championship March 8-11.
Dahl would love nothing more than to go into the CCAA championship as Pacwest champions, as it did last season when the Chargers finished third at nationals. The Chargers men鈥檚 team has won two straight Pacwest crowns and also claimed gold at nationals two seasons ago.
Both teams hit the floor tonight against the College of the Rockies, beginning with the women at 6 followed by the men at 8 p.m. The same teams play Friday at PISE.
鈥淗ere鈥檚 the cool thing, we are the first match anywhere in sa国际传媒 in the CCAA and then, with nationals here, we will host the very last match of the season in that gym,鈥� said Dahl. 鈥淚deally, we would be playing in that one as well.
鈥淲e鈥檒l see, but that would be a pretty neat story line. The season starts here [at PISE] and will end here as well.鈥�
And he鈥檒l have a veteran-laden club, especially in outside players Kathryn Fetting and Michelle Zygmunt. Fetting, in her fifth year, will not be available in the first semester, but fourth-year Zygmunt will be among several team leaders.
Zygmunt and Fetting were both Pacwest first-team all-stars in 2015-16 and Morgan Monkman was on the all-rookie conference team last season.
鈥淢ichelle proved, once again last year, that she can produce a lot of points in competition. She鈥檚 a very offensive player right from the service line through the back court and up front,鈥� said Dahl. 鈥淏ut we really have leadership coming from everywhere. It鈥檚 really about collaboration rather than assimilation, if that makes sense. We want everyone to come in and contribute.鈥�
Dahl also has five transfer players in Katie Wayling (Palm Beach State College); Jenna Pearce (VIU); Alexa Ellis (Keyano College, who joins her sister Taylor Ellis on the team); Kayla Nixon (SAIT, where she was an all-star libero in the ACAC); Megan Ireland (Simon Fraser); and Paige Hamilton (Yavapai College in Arizona).
Dahl, who is also director of coach development with Volleyball sa国际传媒, is also delighted with first-year newcomers Allie Waddell and Jordan Lilley.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a special year and it amps up the excitement right off the hop,鈥� he said of being host to nationals. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big event and it sort of expands your horizon, sort of speak, the way you think about the role of sport in our community. It has a big ability to expose the game and the way we do things within the community at large. It鈥檚 a unique opportunity.鈥�
And he would love nothing more than to go in as Pacwest champions, despite already qualifying as hosts as the conference will have two representatives at nationals.
鈥淔irst and foremost, there鈥檚 a lot of pride to be taken in performing at the level that allows you to have that title,鈥� said Dahl. 鈥淭his is an outstanding league and the teams that go on to compete at national championships do an outstanding job there. To be the Pacwest champion means, every year, that you鈥檙e in the thick of things 鈥� right in the mix of all the top teams in the country.鈥�
As for the men, they too are looking forward to a strong year.
鈥淲e have a solid core of returning student-athletes who bring years of experience to the floor and a great group of newcomers who will be pushing for minutes,鈥� said Parkinson.
Among the veterans are fourth-year libero Elion Wong and fifth-year Tyler Remenda. Camosun also has Hakon Ostrom of Norway and CCAA all-Canadian Savana Walkingbear set for big seasons.
鈥淗akon is a smaller player at five-foot-11, but incredibly dynamic and we call Savana 鈥榃alkingbeast,鈥� because he鈥檚 just such an incredible athletic specimen,鈥� Parkinson added of the proud Thunderchild First Nation, Sask., product.
Right-side player Gabriel Freund and middles Isaac Dellabough and Harrison Archdekin also return, as does team co-captain Doug Waterman, one of the premier middle players in the Pacwest.
The biggest shoes to fill will likely be of setter Vitor Macedo, who has graduated from the program, but returns as an assistant coach. His understudy last season, Matthew Cantin, and Oak Bay grad Kyle Bourdan look to take on that role.
Parkinson is also excited about the addition of fellow Oak Bay grad Cole Beevor-Potts and Ontario product Matt Bowers.
Following this weekend鈥檚 play, the Chargers men and women will play a home-and-home series with Island rival Vancouver Island University the following weekend.
