'Lanche Break
Mariners fight hard but drop the PACWEST championship match to the COTR Avalanche
Game recap courtesy the PACWEST
COTR Avalanche 3
VIU Mariners 1
For the first time in school history the COTR Avalanche men's team is PACWEST champions after a four-set win over the VIU Mariners on Saturday night.
It would be the Mariners that would draw first blood with a first set win of 26-24 to take momentum after strong outside play from Rylan Van Kooten and Jake Stobbe.
Like the first set, the second needed extra points with both teams going back and forth not allowing their opponents to have a lead larger than four points. Diego Policarpo started to heat up in the second set and began to take over along with Dylan Annala leading their team to a 30-28 victory to even the match.
In the third set, they continued to pour it on led by Policarpo and took their first lead in the match with a 25-22 victory setting up a very entertaining fourth set. The teams traded points before the Avalanche began to pull away and finished off the match 25-22 to capture gold.
Setter Boston Thiessen ran an impressive offensive attack led by Policarpo's 25 kills. When the Mariners started to cheat towards the graduating All-Star, Thiessen changed it up and fed the middles of Luke Margenau and Julius Molnar who combined for 16 important kills, while Annala collected 15 to complement Policarpo.
That said, this night really belonged to the Brazilian in his final PACWEST match and was named the Player of the Match, willing his team to victory.
The Mainers fought hard but just couldn't stop Policarpo. Rylan Van Kooten was named the Player of the Match with 10 kills and Kieran Paauwe and Stobbe each chipped in with nine.
VIU Mariners: 2025-26 PACWEST silver medallists. Photo courtesy Jonathan Golschmidt / Columbia Bible College / PACWEST
The PACWEST will be well represented at the CCAA national championship with both the Avalanche and Mariners earning a berth to the tournament in Edmonton. The Avalanche will be the Conference champions and the Mariners attending as a wildcard.
Following the match the tournament All-Stars and MVP were announced.
All-Stars
Photo courtesy Jonathan Golschmidt
Kyle Hinchey – Capilano Blues
Marvin Tumusiime – Douglas Royals
Boston Thiessen - COTR Avalanche
Dylan Annala – COTR Avalanche
Tournament MVP – Diego Policarpo
Rylan Van Kooten – VIU Mariners
Owen Dyck – VIU Mariners