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Vancouver Island University

Playoff Preview: There's Gold in Them There Fields

Two teams ranked high in the nation face off for PACWEST conference gold in the Fraser Valley

VIU Mariners vs COTR Avalanche men's volleyball
Mariners outside hitter Carter Munro fights with a COTR Avalanche opponent during a 2025 game between VIU and COTR at the VIU Gym. These two teams will now face off for 2026 conference gold. Photo: Mary Kessenich
Recap
February 28, 2026

NANAIMO - The Mariners are looking to recapture the magic that brought them a conference championship in 2024 while the COTR Avalanche, defending PACWEST silver medal winners, are seeking their first conference title. Both teams are looking for a momentum boost into the national championships that only a conference gold medal win can provide.  

Who, When & Where

  • PACWEST Championship Final: VIU Mariners (12-8, 1-0 postseason, second seed in the PACWEST, CCAA ranked #5) vs College of the Rockies Avalanche (17-3, first seed in the PACWEST, CCAA ranked #1)
  • Saturday, February 28 at Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, 8 pm 
  • Visit the Tournament Website for more details

Tune In

The game will be streamed on PACWEST TV on YouTube.

Head-To-Head

The Avalanche took three of four meetings with the Mariners this season: 3-0 and 3-1 wins at VIU in October and 3-1 at COTR in February. VIU's lone win came in the opener of that February back-to-back set, a 3-2 win where the final two sets went 28-26 and 15-13.

The Mariners are on a three-match winning streak while COTR has earned victories in its previous four matches.

Last season, VIU won conference bronze while COTR earned conference silver. COTR (2025) and VIU (2024) are also the past two bronze medallists at CCAA national championship tournaments.

Watch Out Now

COTR: The Avalanche swept the top position awards and feature plenty of all-stars: Dylan Annala (Player of the Year, Top Outside Hitter, First Team All-Star); Cisco Farrero (Coach of the Year); Boston Thiessen (Top Setter, First Team All-Star); Luke Margenau (Top Middle Blocker); Reece Clark (Top Libero, Second Team All-Star); Diego Policarpo (First Team All-Star); and Kolton Wildeman (All-Rookie Team). Thiessen was named COTR's player of the game in a five-set semifinal win over Capilano.

VIU: Rylan Van Kooten and Jake Stobbe were both very effective in VIU's semifinal win over Douglas and middle Rowan MacPherson was named VIU's player of the game. VIU's block defense was excellent and will need to have a second outstanding game against the COTR attack. 

The Stakes

A conference gold may give a more desirable seeding at the 2026 CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship on March 11-14, hosted by NAIT (Edmonton, AB). Both teams have already qualified as the PACWEST has a wildcard conference berth based on an average of national tournament success over the previous three seasons.

For more information, please contact VIU Mariners Communications & Sports Information Coordinator Matt Carter.