The Camosun Chargers men’s volleyball team recently hosted, and had a disappointing performance at, the CCAA national championship by only being able to win one game and finish in seventh place. The event was held at PISE from March 7 to 10.
The Chargers entered this year as the defending two-time Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) champions and the defending two-time Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national champions. However, the team that had won those championships consecutively was very different from the team this year: many new players were added to the roster, while some of the best players from that dynasty are gone.
Before the national championships, the Chargers had the opportunity to prove that they were still the best team in BC by playing in the PACWEST playoffs. However, the Chargers were not able to win a game and finished fourth. They lost the semifinal against VIU 3-1, and the bronze medal match against the College of the Rockies 3-1.
Despite their disappointing performance at the PACWEST championships, the Chargers had to make a quick turnaround and focus on the CCAA national championship. They had the pressure to perform well not only because they were the defending champions but also because they were hosting the championship, meaning they would be playing in front of their fans.
Their first game was against the Humber Hawks, a team that was fresh off their gold medal win in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championships. The first set was very close; the Chargers were losing 20-15, and they made a late comeback to tie it 20-20 but ultimately lost 25-23.
The second set was the Chargers’ worst set in the tournament; they scored only 16 points. In the third set, the Chargers won an extremely close set 27-25 and had a good fourth set but ended up losing 25-19, losing the game 3-1. Despite the loss, the Chargers showed they belonged on the court with one of the best teams in the tournament.
The second game of the tournament was against the Providence Pilots, a team from Manitoba that finished its regular season with a six-game win streak. The Chargers again had a slow start, going down 20-12 early. Then, they scored seven consecutive points, making it a close set, but they lost 25-21.
The second set was a close one in which the Chargers came on top 26-24. In the third set, the Chargers fell behind by a considerable margin again and tried making a comeback by tying the game 18-18 but lost at the end 27-25. The fourth set was very close until the end; the Pilots had a streak of points, which won them the set 25-19 and the game 3-1.
The Chargers had to settle to play for the seventh-place game against the St. Thomas Tommies, a team from New Brunswick that had won the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association championship.
The first set was won by the Chargers 25-20 with relative ease. The second set was similar as the Chargers had a hot start, and the Tommies tried making a comeback late, but the Chargers ended up winning it 25-22. The third set was back and forth from beginning to end, but the Tommies ultimately won 25-22. The fourth and last set was very similar as the teams were going back and forth, but this time, the Chargers were able to snatch it away to win the set 25-22 and the game 3-1.
Although the Chargers had a very disappointing outing at home in the championships, they were close in 11 out of the 12 sets they played during the tournament. The team has talent, but it’s still young and inexperienced. The opportunity that they had this year to host and play some of the best teams in the nation will benefit them in the years to come as they gather more experience playing together.