A packed weekend of volleyball ended with an Island championship for Nanaimo.
The Mariners Volleyball Club U17 girls won the A division at Volleyball B.C.’s regional championships Sunday at the Vancouver Island University gymnasium.
The VIU gym was packed all weekend, as the Island titles were determined for the U14 girls and boys on Saturday and then the U17 and U18 girls on Sunday.
The U17 girls won their final convincingly, defeating the Comox Valley Strikers 25-13, 25-15.
“It was kind of neat, because we had played them earlier this year and they’d beaten us, and we beat them twice today,” said Roger Beck, coach of the U17 Mariners.
He said his team’s service game set the tone, as the M’s didn’t miss with any of their serves, keeping the Strikers on their heels. It was a focused effort overall, said the Nanaimo coach.
The M’s qualified for the final on the strength of a three-set victory over the Campbell River Crush, 24-26, 25-13, 15-13.
The Nanaimo team had to come back in that one, as the locals were trailing at the side-switch in the third set.
“One of the things we’ve kind of been working on is trying to forget about the mistakes and really focus on continuing to do what we need to do to win and I thought we did a really good job in that match,” Beck said.
The coach noted that every player got involved and every player contributed to winning an Island championship.
“It’s a good feeling for the girls going into provincials. It’s a nice way to cap off this part of the season,” he said.
Provincials will be April 21-23 on the Lower Mainland.
Also on Sunday, the Mariners Volleyball Club U18 girls were runners-up in their AA division, falling in the final to Victoria Volleyball Association Black, 29-27, 25-13.
The day before, the Mariners Volleyball Club had all three of its teams place in the top five in the U14 A division. The Mariners Royal team was second, losing to Comox Valley Strikers White in the final, 25-17, 25-17. The Mariners Red team was third and the Mariners Navy team took fifth.
The Mariners U13 boys finished fifth at Islands.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
Mariners Volleyball Club had three U14 teams in the top five in the A division at Islands. The Mariners Royal team, pictured, placed 2nd… pic.twitter.com/nfG0p0PNvT
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) April 10, 2017