One Month to Go Until Island Time for CCAA Women's Volleyball

On March 8, 2023, competition kicks off for the CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship at VIU in Nanaimo, BC.

While the weekly CCAA national rankings are a great spot to see which teams across the country are favoured to compete at the tournament, we cast our gaze at each conference to see who is trending towards a trip to Vancouver Island. The number of teams qualifying from each conference is also listed.

The qualifying teams will be confirmed based on the each conference's provincial championship tournament. These games will be played on the February 24-26 weekend.

PACWEST: VIU + One Team

Douglas Royals vs Camosun Chargers. Photo: PACWEST / CBC Bearcats

As the host team, VIU is guaranteed a spot. Another team from the PACWEST--either the conference champion or the second-place team (if VIU wins the conference championship) wil join them.

The PACWEST championship is a 'Final 4' tournament this year. VIU, the Camosun Chargers (12-4, #6 CCAA, Victoria, BC), and the Douglas Royals (10-7, #8 CCAA, New Westminster, BC) have already qualified. The College of the Rockies Avalanche (6-11, Cranbrook, BC) need a few more results to go their way to clinch a playoff spot and are on course to face the Mariners if the current standings hold.

2022 qualifiers: VIU (gold), Douglas (silver)

ACAC: Two Teams (Champion & Wild Card)

Lakeland Rustlers. Photo: Lakeland Rustlers

Might the Lakeland Rustlers (16-1, #3 CCAA, Lloydminster, AB) return a team to Nanaimo for a national tournament run in consecutive years? After Lakeland won CCAA bronze in women's basketball in 2022, the Rustlers have shown to be the class of the ACAC so far and have only dropped 3 sets all season. The Rustlers are followed in the North Division standings by The King's University Eagles (15-2, #5 CCAA, Edmonton, AB), Keyano Huskies (11-6, #14 CCAA, Fort McMurray, AB), and University of Alberta - Augustana Vikings (11-6, Camrose, AB). 

Another CCAA-ranked team--The Ambrose Lions (13-5, #13 CCAA, Calgary, AB)--leads the ACAC's South Division. The ACAC has four teams in the national rankings, more than any other conference, and two will represent Wild Rose Country in Nanaimo.

2022 qualifier: Red Deer (bronze)

MCAC: One Team

Saint-Boniface Les Rouges. Photo: CCAA / Holland Hurricanes

Manitoba will send a provincial champion to the CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship for the second time. In 2022, Saint-Boniface went 1-2 at the national championship and have turned that into a strong year in 2022-23. Les Rouges (11-3, #12 CCAA, Winnipeg, MB) have a three-game lead over the second place Providence Pilots (8-6, Otterburne, MB) with two weekends to go. Interestingly, each of Saint-Boniface's losses came to a different team in the conference, so an 'anybody can win' attitude could be at play at the provincial championship.

2022 qualifier: Saint-Boniface (5th/6th)

OCAA: One Team

Humber Hawks. Photo: CCAA / Holland Hurricanes

Two teams in the CCAA are still undefeated at this point of the season: the VIU Mariners and the Humber Hawks (16-0, CCAA #2, Toronto, ON). The top-ranked team in the OCAA and the West Division leader has only dropped 7 sets in 16 matches. The East-leading Durham Lords (15-1, CCAA #10, Oshawa, ON) also look to be a contender and have only dropped 8 sets all season. The St. Clair Saints (13-3, Windsor, ON) and Seneca Sting (13-4, Toronto, ON) round out the top four in the OCAA.

2022 qualifier: Humber (5th/6th)

RSEQ: One Team

Édouard-Montpetit Lynx. Photo: CCAA / Holland Hurricanes

Three teams in Quebec sit above .500 and all three are represented in the CCAA top 15 rankings: Édouard-Montpetit Lynx (11-2, #7 CCAA, Longueuil, QC), Jonquière Gaillards (12-3, #4 CCAA, Jonquière, QC), and Lionel-Groulx Nordiques (11-4, #11 CCAA, Sainte-Thérèse, QC). The Gaillards defeated the Lynx 3-1 in a first-and-second-place showdown on February 3, propelling Jonquière into a higher spot on the rankings and setting up plenty of intrigue for the RSEQ playoffs.

2022 qualifier: Édouard-Montpetit (4th)

ACAA: One Team

STU vs MSVU. Photo: St. Thomas Tommies

Two teams are ranked in the CCAA top 15 but five teams with winning records look to finish strong down the stretch. The St. Thomas Tommies (13-3, CCAA #9, Fredericton, NB) and MSVU Mystics (11-3, CCAA #15, Halifax, NS) lead the conference. They are followed closely by the Holland Hurricanes (10-4, Charlottetown, PEI), Mount Allison Mounties (9-6, Sackville, NB), and UKC Blue Devils (9-6, Halifax, NS).

2022 qualifiers: Holland (7th/8th), MSVU (7th/8th)

Tournament passes for the 2023 CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship, March 8-11, are now available for purchase online or at the VIU Gym (Building 190, Nanaimo campus.)