Douglas College volleyball teams will need a strong three-day effort at the PacWest provincial volleyball championships this weekend.
Both men’s and women’s teams began championship play in the quarter-finals (after Recorddeadlines) at Capilano University on Thursday.
A match win by either team would put the Royals into the semifinals today (Friday). Medal finals will be played on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. with the women’s bronze-medal match.
The Royals men’s team stands the best chance, finishing third overall with a regular-season record of 13-11 and ranked ninth nationally.
The Douglas men are led by PacWest first team all-star Andrew McWilliam, who led the team in total offence, finishing second overall in the conference. McWilliam, a fourth-year outside hitter, registered 361 kills and 44 service aces in league play, placing him third overall in both disciplines, respectively.
Junior outside hitter Drew Ruby was named to the PacWest second team. Ruby finished seventh in average kills per game and 10th in aces.
First-year setter Kaleb Conrad was named the conference rookie of the year, while Royals coach Brad Hudson was voted coach of the year for the second time.
Haq Ahmad Mustafa and Andrew Robson will have to be at their best at the net, having finished fourth and sixth in overall league blocks this season.
“Looking at the standings you can tell that there has been great parity throughout. The challenge is to continue to build on that,” said Hudson. “We’re no difference than anyone else, it will come down to who plays the best three days.”
The Royal women, sixth-place finishers during the regular season, are in tough at the provincials, having to get past host and third-place-finishing Capilano in the quarters.
All-rookie team pick Maddy Burt will be a player to watch.
The first-year Port Moody product figured in the top 15 in three separate categories this season.
Burt led the team in total offence, including runner-up in the PacWest in service aces with 61 winners. She also recorded a team-best 175 kills in her collegiate debut at Douglas. Toni Vandenbrink, averaging just under two kills per set, is coming off a recent player of the week outing.
PacWest second team all-star Ilaina Hecimovic finished second in the league in overal digs with 436 saves, while Avneet Shokar led the conference in total blocks with 89 stops.
Five-year veteran middle blocker Kaleena Connors finished seventh in blocks and 13th in aces this season.
In Canada West conference men’s volleyball, former three-year Douglas libero Jordan Or was named libero of the year for men’s Mount Royal volleyball team.
“We’re really excited about that,” added Hudson, Or’s former coach. “It’s huge for us and huge for him.”
