NANAIMO — The VIU Mariners won men’s and women’s provincial gold medals in 2024, and they look to duplicate the same feat on home court in 2025.
The VIU women go into the tournament on Feb. 21 as the number one seed while the men are ranked second.
Women’s coach Shane Hyde has a coaching staff and a roster loaded with championship experience.
“For every positive, there’s a negative. Obviously you’re carrying a little bit more pressure playing at home, but routine is key. You’re familiar with your team room, you’re familiar with the court and that allows you to outweigh any of the pressures that may come with hosting at home.”
After four national titles from 2018-2022 and a CCAA national silver medal in 2024, the Mariner women have aspirations not only win the PACWEST but compete for national gold medal.
“We start the process of being ready for provincials day one, our first session with the team. We literally have a plan from day one to get here. So this year we definitely have been prepping our team to be ready for this weekend.”
Aimee Skinner headlines the list of 2024-25 VIU All-Stars as the Mariners prepare to host the provincial championships
The VIU Mariners volleyball teams head into the provincial championships on home court this weekend with some PACWEST hardware in hand.
The PACWEST conference announced its individual volleyball award winners on Wednesday, with Aimee Skinner headlining the Mariners haul.
Skinner, an outside hitter from Coldstream, BC, was named conference women’s volleyball Player of the Year, a First Team All-Star, and Top Outside Hitter. She was VIU’s top offensive threat and finished second in the conference in kills, aces, and total offense.
Other award winners from the women’s team included First Team All-Star Emma Schill, Second Team All-Star Grace Brisebois, All-Rookie Team setter Keira Crellin, and Top Libero Jordyn Exner.
On the men’s side, Dr. Abe Avender was named men’s volleyball Coach of the Year after leading the Mariners to a 14-6 record and a #2 ranking in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association.
Outside hitter Colby Soolsma, who led the conference in aces, was named a First Team All-Star. Setter Owen Dyck and outside hitter Rylan Van Kooten, both student-athletes from Manitoba, were named to the second all-star team.
The Mariners begin play in the conference championships on Friday, February 21. The top seeded VIU women play the fourth
seed Columbia College Bearcats at 5:30 p.m., followed by the #2-ranked VIU men facing the #3-ranked Douglas College Royals at 8 p.m.
Shane Hyde
Heading into final weekend:
We talked about just polishing up what we’re doing and making sure that we’re not going to add any craziness to our team. This year, we have a lot of depth that I think this [past] weekend we got to look at a few options, like a Plan B and a Plan C, if we need to go that route.
On hosting provincials:
Two times hosted nationals, lots of provincials
Coaching staff very used to it, some players as well
For every positive, there’s a negative. Obviously you’re carrying a little bit more pressure playing at home, but routine is key. You’re familiar with your team room, you’re familiar with the court and and that allows you to outweigh any of the pressures that may come with hosting at home.
Coaching Style changes 2015 to now:
Styles change and evolve over the years, but prepping for provincials remains largely unchanged
We start the process of being ready for provincials day one, our first session with the team. We literally have a plan from day one to get to playing games at provincials, so this year we definitely have been prepping our team to be ready for this weekend.
We’ve been putting together a string of games that we’re steadily getting stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger as we as we move forward, getting closer to that time.
Seniors vs Juniors
Great seniors, but great 1st and 2nd year players
Someone like Keira Crellin, who’s our our starting setter, is going to be carrying some serious weight on her shoulders for this. She’s a very, very talented, confident player, and I have all the faith in her. Jordyn Exner, our Libero, she played in a national semifinal against us last year and transferred over for us…playing some really crazy minutes, and probably one of the best players, one of the best liberos I’ve ever coached.
Grace Greene – representing as a second year after watching in the stands last year
Emma Schill – 5th year leader
Athletics and rec team take majority of organization, coaches don’t have much to do with it
Abe Avender
Will finish 2nd in standings, lots could move
VIU had tiebreaker vs Douglas and Camosun
Hosting:
I always sort of say, regardless if we host provincials or PacWest, that our barn is kind of our house and we want to protect it. We get to train in it every single day and in our practice settings, so there is that little bit of home court advantage.
It also exciting…in 15 years as the head coach, we’ve had one other time we’ve got to host it as COVID kind of screwed up the rotation a little bit, so for me being this long to only have it be my second one I’m really excited for it too.
Wildcare berth for nationals final
Friday huge game
The Pac est being so strong the last four or five years at national championships, we have the wild card berth as well. The Friday night is going to be the monster, because if you make the final, you’re going to Nationals with the two berths. But the final is definitely a big dog because your seeding going into nationals will be such a big factor.
This year’s group:
I love this group, and we’ve worked our butts off this year and we’ve gone through a lot together and and I’m excited to have our matches be home.
Owen [Dyck], our starting setter, and phenomenal kid, truly had a life threatening injury where he almost cut his leg off in the summer. It was 14 weeks in an immobilizer where he wasn’t able to move his leg. So he was was not available…we were curious, would he ever play again? And not only is he playing again, I would say he’s phenomenally playing again.
Broken foot in simple drill
Another guy broke finger, missed first half of season
We’ve had an ankle blow out in the back row, which in 15 years of coaching, I’ve never seen that. That was a weird one. Normally you get a few injuries in a season but this year has just been like, we’re the M*A*S*H unit.
I feel like just the adversity that’s created, we’ve really had this next man up mentality, and I’m grateful for the depth we’ve had. We’ve been able to be pretty successful with some big pieces going down.
TCB vs avoid drama
Last year, most epic match ever in coaching, thumped first two sets then to rally/battle back
The good news is going through that adversity, and going through a match to that level of intensity, those guys who are on our group now, they’ve all been through one of those squirrely moments and I think it does serve you very well. But I think from a gray hair and balding point of view, I would love it to be three sets, and put together a really solid match from start to finish.
Volleyball “epic” at PACWEST provincials, teams get better through the year
Team developing through the year, injuries have allowed some of the new guys to step into bigger roles they may not have gotten in their first or second years
It’s a neat group, the resiliency they’ve shown in that way, and even to adapt coaching wise. Both Wayne and I, my assistant, it’s just ‘holy smokes, what’s the plan this weekend?’ It’s been unique, but also a really great learning year in that way for everybody.
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