By Dan Marshall

VIU men’s volleyball season underway with sights set on a championship

Oct 17, 2017 | 10:27 PM

NANAIMO — The two teams that represented the PACWEST at the last CCAA men’s volleyball nationals went head to head to open the current season.
 
The VIU Mariners and Camosun Chargers split their opening weekend matches down in Victoria.
 
In the 2016-17 season the Mariners finished 21-3 to win the league, but it was Camosun that won the provincial championship.
 
Neither team factored in the medals at nationals.
 
VIU Coach Abe Avender believes he has a championship calibre squad this year.
 
“Our goal is similar to last year, finishing first in the league, with a potential of winning provincials. With Camosun hosting nationals this year we’ll only have one berth to nationals. Camosun has hoisted that provincial banner three years in a row and I’ll love for it to visit a new gym,” said Avender.
 
The Mariners will be led by 2017 All-Canadian and PACWEST Player of the Year Braydon Brouwer.
 
Avender has praised his work ethic and leadership skills, and Brouwer had a strong night against Camosun last Saturday with 14 kills.
 
He put on about 10-15 pounds of muscle over the summer while he was fighting forest fires and his coach calls him ‘a real specimen of a human being.’
 
Another player to watch is Jeff Webb, who just came off of a gold medal performance in beach volleyball at the Canada Games.
 
Webb led the Mariners in kills in both of their opening weekend matches and has a two game total of 31.
 
This week VIU has a bye week, so their next action isn’t until October 27-28 when they visit Columbia Bible College.
 
Avender says the players will get lots of practice reps in this week and then they’ll focus in on CBC next week.
 
Home fans will have to wait until November to see the first matches at VIU, the home opener is November 3 against Capilano.
 
Meanwhile the women’s volleyball team is off to their usual strong start this season.
 
They swept their opening matches at Camosun and the 16 time PACWEST champions will be extremely strong under head coach Shane Hyde.
 
Both VIU teams follow the exact same schedule so the women are also into their bye week.
 
 
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
 
On twitter: @danmarshall77