Determined at Durham: Mariners earn national bronze
Mariners earn eighth CCAA medal over the past 10 seasons
OSHAWA, ON - The Mariners added on to their list of achievements on the national stage with a third-place finish at the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball National Championship at Durham College.
After a solid quarterfinal win over a talented Providence Pilots squad, the Mariners nearly came all the way back but lost 3-2 in an epic semifinal battle with the Humber Hawks. VIU rebounded with wins over the host Durham Lords and over the Élans du Cégep Garneau to earn CCAA Bronze.
The Mariners finished the 2024-25 season with a 24-2 record: 19-1 in the regular season and 5-1 in the postseason. Over the last ten seasons, VIU women's volleyball has earned five gold, one silver, and two bronze at CCAA tournaments.
Game recaps and photographs courtesy the CCAA / Durham Lords
Quarterfinal: VIU 3 - Providence 0
Grace Greene (middle) hits the ball over the Providence College block
the VIU Mariners defeated the Providence Pilots in three sets, by scores of 25-23, 25-19 and 25-19.
For the Mariners, Aimee Skinner was named 4imprint player of the match with an 18 kill performance on 31 total attempts, along with seven digs, two service aces and a solo block for 21.0 points. Grace Greene was also in double-digit point territory with 10.0, hitting for 10 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Keira Crellin finished with 30 assists through three sets.
Tyra Peters and Serena Algera were the offensive leaders for the Pilots with nine kills each, while Peters also recorded a team-leading 10 digs. Much off the offence flowed through Amanda Bergen who finished the match with 27 assists. Algera was named the player of the match for the side from Manitoba.
Semifinal: Humber 3 - VIU 2
Keira Crellin sets the volleyball under the watchful eye of a Humber Hawks opponent
The Humber Hawks and VIU Mariners broke the streak of six consecutive three-set matches to begin the championship with a five-set thriller.
After Humber took the opening two sets by 25-21 and 25-17 scores, VIU stormed back with 25-12 and 25-18 wins to force a fifth set. The final frame needed extra serves, where the Hawks would finish the job for a 16-14 win.
History was made in the match, as the win from the Hawks sent an OCAA team to the championship final for the first time in since the Centennial Colts in 1987.
Hannah Manners led the team in kills with 15, also serving two aces to finish the night with a 17.0 point total. Caitlyn Labelle was not far behind with 14 kills on only 26 attempts, finishing the match with a .538 hitting percentage. CCAA player of the year Kennedy Williscroft assisted 48 times on the night. Manners was named the player of the match for Humber.
Regan Ingram earned VIU's player of the match honours with a team-high 18 kills and .581 hitting percentage while blocking three shots. Aimee Skinner stood out for the Mariners, recording 15 kills and 10 digs while Keira Crellin had the most assists of any player in a single match at this championship up to this point with 51.
Bronze Semifinal: VIU 3 - Durham 0
Hoard vs Lords: VIU's Lauren Hoard swings for a kill against the Durham Lords
VIU won in a straight-set sweep over Durham (25-15, 25-17, 25-17), hitting an impressive .411 as a team.
Aimee Skinner led the way with 12 kills, four blocks, and eight digs, racking up 17.0 total points. Emma Schill added 11 kills, two aces, and seven digs, finishing with 13.0 points. Keira Crellin chipped in 32 assists, while adding four digs and two aces. Crellin was named player of the match for VIU.
Chelsea Oke had an efficient outing for the Lords, finishing with eight kills on a .350 hitting percentage and six digs. Elizabeth McFarland also recorded eight kills, along with two digs. Setter Brooke Young kept Durham's attack organized, tallying 21 assists and six digs. Jayde Smyth was recognized as player of the match for Durham.
Bronze: VIU 3 - Garneau 1
VIU's Player of the Game Grace Brisebois (#5) looks to avoid the Garneau block in the 2025 CCAA women's volleyball bronze medal matchup
The VIU Mariners secured the bronze medal at the national championship with a determined four-set victory (21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-16) over the Élans du Garneau at Durham College on Saturday afternoon.
After dropping the opening set, VIU found its rhythm and executed a strong all-around performance to take control of the match. The Mariners' attack efficiency proved to be the difference, as they posted a .353 hitting percentage while limiting Garneau to a .289 mark.
Grace Brisebois was instrumental in VIU's win, earning player of the match honours with a well-rounded performance of nine kills, 11 digs, and a service ace. Her consistency on both sides of the ball helped the Mariners maintain momentum after a closely contested second set.
For Garneau, Jessica Mireault led by example and was named her team's player of the match, contributing six kills, six digs, and a block. The Élans battled hard in the first two frames but struggled to sustain their offensive output as VIU applied increasing pressure.
The Mariners celebrate the winning point versus Garneau
The Mariners' balanced attack featured contributions from multiple players, with Aimee Skinner (13 kills, eight digs) and Regan Ingram (10 kills, 12 digs, three blocks) stepping up in key moments. Setter Keira Crellin orchestrated the offence with 42 assists while adding 10 digs of her own.
Garneau's offence was paced by Maëli Cormier, who tallied a match-high 15 kills, while Marilou Couture chipped in with 12 kills and nine digs.
After the game, tournament organizers recognized the three VIU seniors playing their final varsity game: (L-R) Megan Duffy, Emma Schill, and Kiana Gelissen
With the victory, VIU caps its national championship run with a bronze medal, adding to the program's history of success on the national stage. Since first winning a national bronze in 1996, VIU now has 20 women's volleyball national medals in program history, finishing on the podium in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 as Malaspina University-College and 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, and now 2025 as Vancouver Island University.
Tournament Awards
Aimee Skinner (First Team), Megan Duffy (Second Team), and Keira Crellin (Second Team) were named CCAA Tournament All-Stars. Emma Schill was awarded with the Chuck Gullickson Exemplary Leadership Award.