NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - Day 3 of the CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship means championship day. To start the medal games off, the host of tournament, the Douglas Royals, took on the Fanshawe Falcons, in a heavy weight tilt that would decide who would be awarded the bronze medal.
Both teams having played earlier were already warm, if not a little tired. Fans were treated to a thrilling opening set as both teams went the distance on the scoreboard. Despite both teams being on a nearly equal level of play, it was the Falcons that came out with the set win, 25-22.
The second set is where the fatigue became obvious. It was especially evident for the Royals, who could not keep up pace with the high-flying Falcons. They would go on to lose the set, 25-20.
With a medal on the line, the Royals came out in the third and gave it their all. They went up early against Fanshawe, forcing an early timeout and adjustments from the team. Those adjustments would end up being the bane of the Royals as their hard-striking team stalled out on the hands of the blockers from Fanshawe. They would take the set 25-22, and win the game 3-0.
Fanshawe finishes their tournament with the bronze medal, while the Royals settle for fourth. Following the match, Fanshawe's David Gundrum was named the player of the game for his team. The Royal's Zach Or was named the player of the game for his team.
Bronze Semi-Final: Fanshawe Falcons 3, Mohawk Mountaineers 2
The second bronze semi-final featured yet another very familiar rivalry as the OCAA-based Fanshawe Falcons took on their OCAA division rivals, the Mohawk Mountaineers.
The two kicked off the match-up with an explosive set. No one could find a significant lead and both teams traded possessions well past the 20-point mark. But in the end, it was the Falcons that ended up pulling out ahead. A three-point comeback allowed them to capture the first set, 28-26.
It was more of the same in the second, as neither team could pull away from the other. It wasn't until the very end of the set that the Falcons were able to break away from the Mountaineers. Their late set heroics awarded them the set, 25-23.
Desperation set in for the Mohawk as they began the third set by surrendering a sizeable lead to Fanshawe. Althought they were able to bring the set back to even, they were unable to finish it, and surrendered two straight points to the Falcons, who won the set 26-24, and the game 3-0.
Derek Braun was named player of the game for the Fanshawe Falcons, while Max Anderson was named for the Mountaineers.
CCAA Semi-Final: Titans de Limoilou 3, Fanshawe Falcons 0
The last game of Day 2 featured a colossal match-up between the No. 2 seed, Fanshawe Falcons, and the No. 3 seed, Titan de Limoilou, with a chance to fight for the gold medal on the line.
Having been there last year, Limoilou could practically taste the gold this evening. Their play proved exactly why they were able to make it to the final last year. They came into the first ready to play and systematically took apart the Fanshawe team, winning the opening set, 25-16.
They followed that with an equally dominating set in second, crushing the life from the Falcons as they gallantly resisted. The third set began with some life as Fanshawe made their presence known. However, it wasn't enough. The Titans came roaring back into the set, and finished the game strongly. They secured a medal finish with two consecutive 25-20 set wins, and topped off the upset in style, displacing the seed above the in a flashy 3-0 win.
Limoilou's Martin Ludovic was named the player of the game following their victory. Fanshawe's Sebastian Lethbridge was the player of the game for his outstanding effort.
Bronze Quarter-Final: Mohawk Mountaineers 3, St. Thomas Tommies 0
Day 2 of the CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship kicked off with a thrilling matchup, with the fifth seeded Mohawk Mountaineers taking on the eighth seeded St. Thomas Tommies.
With so much on the line, both teams could not afford to let any points slip away from them. They kept an airtight gap on the scoreboard, never letting anyone run away with the set. In the end, it was Mohawk that got the final point in, as they finished the extended set 26-24.
The Tommies stepped up their game, determined not to drop another set. However, costly serving mistakes throughout the set gave the Mountaineers the edge that they needed, and they took it, 26-24 yet again.
With the game on the line, Mohawk knew exactly what they needed to do to win, and executed on it, scoring three straight points to take the set 27-25, and the game, 3-0. After the game, Mohawk's Chris Spack was named the player of the game. On the Tommies side, Stephane Blinn was named his team's player of the game.
CCAA Quarter-Final: Fanshawe Falcons 3, Keyano Huskies 0
In the third game of the quarter-finals, No. 2 Fanshawe took on the No. 7 Keyano in what would end up being a very heated tilt.
The first set of the match saw the Falcons off to a rough start. The Huskies came out faster and much stronger than was anticipated by the Fanshawe. Catching them off guard, the wildcard team out of Alberta ran up the scoreboard before a well-placed timeout by CCAA Coach of the Year, Patrick Johnson, took the steam out of their drive.
The Falcons, revitalized during the timeout, came to life laying into the Keyano team, taking the set 25-21. The second set was nothing less than a massacre as the Falcons took the bite out of the Huskies, finishing them 25-14.
But even a bark can throw off the biggest attackers. The Huskies made their final stand against the high-flying Falcons. The effort was valiant, but the Falcons soared over them, taking the set 25-22, and the game 3-0. For his valiant efforts, Blazej Pellowski was named the Huskies Player of the Game. For the Falcons, James Jackson was named the Player of the Game.
CCAA Quarter-Final: Camosun Chargers 3, Mohawk Mountaineers 0
The second quarter-final of the day at the CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship showcased two powerhouse teams fighting to move forward in the tournament.
Both Mohawk and Camosun came out of the gates swinging, however, only the Chargers could keep up with the pace that was set early. They swamped Mohawk's side of the court with pinpoint accurate kills and dismantled their offence, finishing the opening set, 25-13.
The second was much better for the Mountaineers as they were able to slow down the rampaging Chargers. But Camosun's momentum was too much for the struggling Mohawk squad, and they dropped the second set, allowing Camosun to take it, 25-18.
With their backs against the wall, Mohawk made what could have been their final stand. The Mountaineers piled point upon point against the Chargers, making their climb that much harder. Despite the difficulty of the challenge set in front of them, Camosun prevailed. They broke free of the Mohawk's iron-tight grasp and sealed their victory with a beautiful finish, taking the set 25-20, and the game 3-0.
Camosun's Savana Walkingbear was named his team's Player of the Game. Eric Girard earned the same honors for the Mountaineers.
CCAA Championship Website: www.ccaa.ca/national-championship-s15090
Source: Douglas College/CCAA Communications