Preview: Women’s Volleyball National Championships
February 27, 2007
MONTREAL (CUP) — The Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s volleyball national championships promise to be of one of this year’s most competitive CIS finals, with a general consensus that any of the top six teams from Canada West and Quebec could emerge as champions.
The March 1-3 competition will be hosted by the University of Calgary as the Laval Rouge et Or look to defend their first-ever school title from last season, also won in the Dinos den. Many squads feature players who have national and international experience, which should make the single-elimination tournament one heck of a show.
From the desks of the student newspapers at each of the schools across the country, here’s a look at what to expect of the participating teams.
ALBERTA PANDAS
Seed: First
National ranking: Fourth
Conference: Canada West
2006-07 record: 16-4
Playoffs: 4-0, CW gold
Nationals trip: 13th
Medals: 6 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
EDMONTON (CUP) — Led by Canadian senior national team member Tiffany Dodds, the Alberta Pandas enter the CIS championships as the top-ranked school after upsetting the host Manitoba Bisons for the Canada West title.
Dodds, also the Canada West MVP, made the switch from setter to outside hitter this year and responded by finishing third in the conference in kills per game (4.47) and sixth in aces per set. With the one-two punch of Dodds and Jocelyn Blair (3.42 kills/set), the Pandas have a balanced and dangerous attack heading into Calgary in search of the school’s first championship since 2000, following a run of six in a row in the ’90s.
- Paul Owen, the Gateway
LAVAL ROUGE ET OR
Seed: Second
National ranking: Third
Conference: Quebec
2006-07 record: 21-4
Playoffs: 4-0, QSSF gold
Nationals trip: 24th
Medals: 1 gold, 2 silver, 7 bronze
MONTREAL (CUP) — Expect a couple dozen noisy Rouge et Or fans to travel all the way to Calgary in support of four seniors who will try to end their CIS careers with back-to-back national championships. A second title is a strong possibility as six returning starters carry along the momentum from 3-1 and 3-0 Quebec final victories over Montreal.
“What’s fun on my team is that anyone could step up and finish important rallies when the pressure’s on,” says coach Benoit Robitaille, who has Beach Volley World Tour players Marie-Christine Mondor and Caroline Fiset on his roster along with 2006 CIS player of the year Marylène Laplante — also last year’s championship MVP.
- Dan Plouffe, CUP sports bureau chief
MANITOBA BISONS
Seed: Third
National ranking: First
Conference: Canada West
2006-07 record: 18-2
Playoffs: 1-1, CW silver
Nationals trip: 18th
Medals: 5 gold, 4 silver. 4 bronze
WINNIPEG (CUP) — What a difference a year makes! After failing to qualify for the post-season the past two years, the Bisons — consistently at the top of the national rankings over the course of the season — return to nationals for the first since 2002.
Injecting new life into the team was CW rookie of the year Ashley Voth, another Canadian senior national team member who led the Bisons in blocks (77) and kills (197) during regular season play. Conference all-stars Katie Davidson and Sabrina Barnes should also shine as veterans.
- Romer Bautista, the Manitoban
MONTREAL CARABINS
Seed: Fourth
National ranking: Second
Conference: Quebec
2006-07 record: 23-2
Playoffs: 2-3, QSSF silver
Nationals trip: Ninth
Medals: None
MONTREAL (CUP) — Never ranked outside the top-three all year, the Carabins expect to medal, and it’s the gold one they want. Coach Olivier Trudel says Montreal’s matches with Laval featured probably the best volleyball played this year, and what’s more, “We’re expecting to see each other again,” which would signify an all-Quebec final.
U de M has two national team players — Canada’s Nadine Alphonse and Laetitia Tchoualack, who has played professionally in France. And don’t forget young Canadian beach stars Magalie St-Georges and Myriam Aboumerhi, or Melody Benhamou, the CIS leader with a lethal 45 per cent kill rate.
“They bring a lot of emotional stability,” Trudel says of his experienced players. “They don’t panic a lot.”
- Dan Plouffe, CUP sports bureau chief
CALGARY DINOS
Seed: Fifth
National ranking: Seventh
Conference: Canada West
2006-07 record: 15-5
Playoffs: 3-1, CW bronze
Nationals trip: 15th
Medals: 3 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze
MONTREAL (CUP) — As the only team owning medals from the past three CIS championships, the host Calgary Dinos are looking to make this year four in a row, with the gold colour as their preference.
For two weeks, the Dinos were co-ranked first in the country with their opening round opponents from Montreal, although the team hasn’t beat Manitoba this year, falling in five sets three times.
Senior Joanna Niemczewska, the 2004 and 2005 CIS MVP, is still the Dinos’ most dominant player and is on a mission to capture another national crown in her final show at home. The right-side averaged an amazing 4.76 points per set this season.
- Dan Plouffe, CUP sports bureau chief
TRINITY WESTERN SPARTANS
Seed: Sixth
National ranking: Sixth
Conference: Canada West
2006-07 record: 15-5
Playoffs: 2-2, CW fourth
Nationals trip: Second
Medals: None
LANGLEY, B.C. (CUP) — Following a stellar 15-5 regular season in the tough Canada West conference, Trinity Western had a bit of a letdown at the final-four tournament in Winnipeg, dropping both of its matches.
Nevertheless, previous victories over powerhouses such as Calgary and Manitoba — who they’ll face in the opening round — demonstrate that the Spartans are legitimate contenders for the national title.
Canada West leaders in hitting efficiency with rates of 39 and 38 per cent, respectively, were TWU’s Julie Koepke and Liz Spear, who will be fed by senior setter Anna Paddock in Calgary.
- David Azuma, Mars’ Hill
OTTAWA GEE-GEES
Seed: Seventh
National ranking: Not ranked
Conference: Ontario
2006-07 record: 13-6
Playoffs: 3-0, OUA gold
Nationals trip: Fourth
Medals: None
OTTAWA (CUP) — While the Gee-Gees are in unfamiliar territory — making their first appearance at nationals in two decades — the team will have little time to spend making new friends. Ottawa, unranked since the second week of the season, is a heavy underdog, but shouldn’t be counted out too quickly.
The Gee-Gees have a formidable front-court attack with fourth-year setter Laura Simons in tandem with Christine Lamey, who has been near the top of the CIS scoring leaders all season. Ottawa will have to be sharp if it wants get past defending-champion Laval in round one, but the Gee-Gees have been consistent all season, and certainly won’t embarrass themselves on the national stage.
- Frank Appleyard, the Fulcrum
ST. MARY’S HUSKIES
Seed: Eighth
National ranking: Not ranked
Conference: Atlantic
2006-07 record: 11-10
Playoffs: 3-0, AUS gold
Nationals trip: Fourth
Medals: None
MONTREAL (CUP) — Looking for the Atlantic conference’s first medal since 1984 are the St. Mary’s Huskies, the Cinderella story of this year’s CIS playoffs. Following an up-and-down 11-10 regular season, St. Mary’s won road games at New Brunswick and Acadia for the AUS title.
Led by Ashley Wicks and Danielle Shortall, the Huskies will try to win some respect for their conference, which had a team ranked in the national top-10 for only one week this year (University of New Brunswick in a three-way tie for 10th).
- Dan Plouffe, CUP sports bureau chief
Schedule: (Mountain time)
Thursday, March 1
12 p.m. (#2) Laval vs (#7) Ottawa
2 p.m. (#3) Manitoba vs (#6) Trinity Western
5 p.m. (#1) Alberta vs (#8) St. Mary’s
7 p.m. (#4) Montréal vs (#5) Calgary
Friday, March 2
12 p.m. Consolation #1
2 p.m. Consolation #2
5 p.m. Semi-final #1
7 p.m. Semi-final #2
Saturday, March 3
9 a.m. Fifth place match
11 a.m. Bronze medal match
2:30 p.m. Gold medal match
Now you go...
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