The VIU Mariners are at the right end of the table for their basketball and volleyball programs come the unofficial halfway point of the season. (Matt Carter)

By Dan Marshall

Among the Best

VIU Mariners teams boast impressive results in first half of 2023-24 PACWEST season

Dec 15, 2023 | 10:54 AM

NANAIMO — The first half of the VIU Mariners 2023-24 sports schedule is over with a lot of success along the way.

VIU hosted the PACWEST soccer provincials in late October with the women’s team making the semifinals and the men losing out in a tight 2-1 game in penalties to Douglas College in the final.

The men also made the national tournament but finished just shy of a medal.

Mariners athletic director Danielle Hyde was proud of the work put in by both teams.

“In soccer our teams battled right to the end. If you look at how the season went it was a really successful soccer year.”

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The VIU court sport teams are in their holiday break and they have all had a strong first half.

Women’s basketball is at the head of the class with a 12-0 record.

The 2023 defending national champions also have the number one ranking in the CCAA.

The men have had a dominant first half as well sitting at 11-1 with a national ranking of sixth.

In volleyball the VIU women are 8-2 while the men are 7-3.

Nationally the women are ranked second and the men are sixth.

Hyde said expectations are high again for the volleyball and basketball programs.

“Our court sports we see them do well year after year. This year the parity across the league is very exciting and every game they have to come prepared for. They had a great start to the season.”

In the 2022-23 campaign VIU sent six teams to national tournaments.

The Mariners have had one nationals appearance already and despite a new cast of characters Hyde is hopeful more trips to the nationals will be in store later this season.

“Each of our teams has a different look this year with key people moving on and graduating. There’s been some transfers and first years coming in. The coaches build each team from the beginning and they’re unique each one of them. It’s a huge credit to the coaches who have really mastered putting the right pieces together and building a culture from the start.”

League play resumes for basketball on Jan. 12 and for volleyball on Jan. 19.

However all four teams will be playing some exhibition games before getting back to the PACWEST schedule.

Even though the players are in a break now Hyde says the work of building championship contenders never stops.

“Our soccer teams are already out there recruiting and making commitments for next year so they’re hard at work. We get into January and it doesn’t take long for February to hit and then playoffs and then nationals and then you blink and we do it all again.”

It will be awhile before the Mariners host another CCAA championship event and there’s nothing official lined up for hosting a PACWEST tournament either.

Hyde said the Mariners will look to apply for CCAA events when they are able.

“Nationally we aren’t on the grid for a sport until 2026, which is men’s basketball. This year Camosun is hosting men’s volleyball. So if our men’s team qualifies they’ll get to go down the road and compete for a championship there. We will probably see a provincial championship coming here in the next year or so.”

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