Chargers hope to dig up a national title at home
How far can home-floor advantage, a loud Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence gym and a veteran team take the Camosun Chargers women’s volleyball team at the national level?
Coach Chris Dahl can’t wait to find out as his Chargers take on the role of host and No. 7-seed in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association championship that begins today at the Interurban campus.
The Chargers — who were eliminated in quarter-finals at the Pacwest championship — are an obvious long-shot, but are obviously capable of rising to the occasion, having defeated No. 1-ranked and league champions Vancouver Island University once this season. Camosun was also swept twice by the Mariners and lost a five-set marathon to their Island rivals.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it really is,” Dahl said coming into the eight-team event, which carries through until Saturday’s 8 p.m. final. “The window of opportunity to be a student-athlete at the post-secondary level is small and unique, as special as it is.
“Then, to be able to attend the national championship as the host and to play in front of friends and family in the community that you are immersed in — I could coach another 40 years and maybe then I would get the opportunity to do that again,” he added.
“That far exceeds the life of an athlete. They acknowledge, understand and are appreciative of the opportunity. They are incredibly excited and feeling that, ‘Hey, we’re going to be able to put on an outstanding show and create a lot of buzz for the program, for the sport, for the CCAA and Pacwest — all of the above.’ ”
The task will be a tough one, though, as the Chargers face Ontario champion and the No. 2-seed Humber Hawks in their opener at 8 p.m. The event commences with the No. 1 Mariners vs. No. 8 Cavaliers de Bois-de-Boulogne of Montreal at 1 p.m.
The Mariners enter as defending national champs and are coming off their 16th Pacwest title in which they went undefeated, winning the crown at home. They have been ranked No. 1 nationally for the entire season.
“I think we’re a better team than we were last year,” coach Shane Hyde said, entering the tournament.
And it will also play out as a bit of a home game for the Mariners as well, who are expected to draw busloads of fans from Nanaimo.
“Getting to nationals was a key for us,” said Hyde. “We knew that was going to be a dogfight and now that we’re there, we have no planes, no ferries. It’s as homecourt as we can make it. I’m sure we’ll be shuffling fans down in busloads to Victoria. We’re excited to not have to travel.”
In Game 2, the No. 4 Lakeland Rustlers of Lloydminster, Alta., face the No. 5 Mount Saint Vincent Mystics of Halifax at 3 p.m. followed by the No. 3 Lynx d’Édouard Montpetit of Longueuil, Que., vs. No. 6 Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves of Alberta at 6 p.m.
Dahl’s Chargers — who lost a five-set, two and one-half hour marathon to Capilano at quarterfinals of the Pacwest championship — then take the floor at 8 p.m.
“I think that coaches in the league are experienced enough that they’ll say, ‘Hey, it’s tough to play anyone, it doesn’t matter what seed they are, in their home gym, in front of their home crowd.’ I think the community of Victoria and Camosun College are doing a fantastic job of creating excitement here and it’s going to be one incredible environment,” said Dahl.
Meanwhile, the Camosun men, who recently claimed a third straight Pacwest crown, are seeded No. 4 and will open against the No. 5 Medicine Hat Rattlers of Alberta at nationals in London, Ont., at noon Pacific time. The No. 6 VIU Mariners are also competing and face the No. 3 Mohawk Mountaineers of Ontario at 3 p.m.