Camosun College has systemically spiked its way to brilliance on volleyball courts across the country. The 2022-23 Pacwest Conference championship banners — and the national college championship banner for the men’s Chargers and national silver-medal banner for the women — will be raised Saturday in the PISE gym ahead of the 2023-24 conference season openers against the College of the Rockies Avalanche from the Kootenay region. The women’s game is at 6 p.m. and men’s at 8 p.m.
It’s quite a pedigree to uphold and is regional as the Chargers beat the Vancouver Island University Mariners in both the Pacwest men’s and women’s conference finals last season, to continue a tradition from here to the world in volleyball that has seen the likes of Islanders Tom Graham, Greg Russell, Martin Reader, Fred Winters and Jamie Broder represent sa国际传媒 in the Olympic Games.
The Chargers men are back-to-back national champions, beating the Humber College Hawks of Toronto in the 2023 Canadian final. Camosun will be setting, spiking and digging for the three-peat when it hosts the 2024 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national championship tournament March 6-10 at PISE gym.
“We will work hard to ensure a worthy performance in our own gym,” said Chargers men’s head coach Kelvin Ma, in a statement.
Graduating three starters, the Chargers lose captain, national tournament MVP and Brazilian import Eduardo Bida, national tournament first-team all-star Brendan Folkerts and Belmont-grad and national second-team all-star Dale MacDonnell. A fourth starter from last season leaving is Oak Bay Secondary graduate Lucas Maffia — brother of University of Victoria Vikes basketball star and sa国际传媒 West MVP Diego Maffia — who is off to U Sports.
Ma will lean heavily on returnees Ben Linsley at setter and Kris La Guardia as libero, adding: “We will rely on their experience and leadership throughout this season.”
Among a big incoming class of recruits is Desmond Arthurs out of the St. Andrew’s Regional High School Sabres.
Former Belmont Secondary star Hannah May has graduated from the Chargers women’s team but there is plenty of talent returning. It includes the former Belmont Bulldogs pair of middle-hitter Gracie May, Hannah’s younger sister, and setter Taylee Pomponio along with veteran outside-hitter Erica Bolink out of the PCS Pacers.
“Everyone on our team is a truly quality individual and it shows in the camaraderie that has quickly formed and the fast pace of development that is taking place every day in training,” Chargers head coach Brent Hall said in a statement.
The Chargers women made it to the national championship game last spring in Nanaimo before losing to the Lakeland College Rustlers of Vermilion, Alta.
The VIU Mariners had won the four previous women’s national championships before their Drive for Five stalled on their home court in March. But head coach Shane Hyde has led VIU to seven national titles and 16 top-three finishes at nationals in 23 seasons. The Mariners have placed in the top three nine times in the past 12 years and will be back in the hunt again this season.
