Playoff Preview: Island Rivalry Renewed
Last year's conference finalists meet in the 2026 quarterfinals
NANAIMO - The Island Rivalry returns to the 2026 PACWEST Volleyball Championship as two familiar foes, the Mariners and Camosun Chargers, meet in the opening game of the tournament.
Who, When & Where
- PACWEST Championship Semifinal: VIU Mariners (16-4, second seed in the PACWEST, CCAA ranked #5) vs Camosun Chargers (7-13, third seed in the PACWEST)
- Friday, February 27 at Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, 1 pm
- Visit the Tournament Website for more details
Tune In
The game will be streamed on PACWEST TV on YouTube.
Head-To-Head
VIU swept the first two meetings of the season in October but the recent rematches in January were much closer as each team earned a 3-2 win.
Since then (January 10), the Mariners have gone 7-1 while the Chargers went 2-6.
The Mariners have won the last two conference championships while the Chargers earned gold in 2023.
Watch Out Now
Camosun: Three Chargers were recognized this week with conference awards: Erica Bolink (First Team All-Star), Edyn van Brabant (Second Team All-Star), and Kaitlyn Vetsch (All-Rookie Team).
VIU: Six Mariners earned conference awards: Grace Brisebois (First Team All-Star), Lauren Hoard (Second Team All-Star), Regan Ingram (Second Team All-Star), Eliseabeth Sim (All-Rookie Team), Sara Hughes (All-Rookie Team), and Jordy Exner (Top Libero).
The Stakes
The winner moves on the PACWEST gold medal game on Saturday, February 28 at 5:30 pm against the winner of Capilano University and Douglas College while the loser will play for bronze Saturday at 1 pm. The conference champion qualifies for the 2026 CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship March 11-14, hosted by Providence University College in the Town of Niverville, Manitoba.
For more information, please contact VIU Mariners Communications & Sports Information Coordinator Matt Carter.