Following a stellar regular season which ended on Saturday with a thrilling victory over the nation’s No. 1 VIU Mariners, the Camosun Chargers women’s volleyball team is on their way to Cranbrook, where they will compete for PACWEST gold.
Should the team succeed, it will be a first for the Chargers who have yet to win a provincial title in women’s volleyball.
The Chargers caught up with Head Coach Brent Hall prior to the team’s departure, to talk about Saturday’s incredible win and what he anticipates at the championship.
Q: You had a fantastic finish to the regular season defeating the nation’s top-ranked team. What was that like for you and the Chargers?
A: Saturday’s match was evidence that the hard work the athletes have been putting in all season long is paying off. The team has been consistently raising their level of play and we have shown that we’re ready to enter the post-season and perform. It was very gratifying to beat our Island Rival, particularly in front of a great crowd, in our last match of the regular season.
Q: With only two days between your last match and boarding the bus for provincials, you’ve had very little time to rest and prepare. What strategy do you apply to ensure the players are ready for competiton?
A: The last few weeks have balanced a reduced training volume with a focus on fine-tuning key elements for performance. This week will be no exception; we have one more practice to tweak here and there, and then the focus becomes managing nutrition and sleep to have minds and bodies ready to compete Thursday.
Q: As the third-seeded team, the Chargers will face off against the hosting College of the Rockies Avalanche (#6). How do you see this quarterfinal match going?
A: College of the Rockies always has a great crowd out to their matches. Their greatest advantage may be playing in front of their fans in their home gym. I believe we outmatch them, which is shown by our 4-0 record against them this season, but no team can be underestimated when it comes down to a single match. I expect them to play tough defense, so we will have to be patient, get past any jitters, and find our best performance.
Q: What do you think will give the Chargers the edge to be successful throughout the championships?
This group has really bought into the idea that taking control of everything off-court means being prepared to compete. This means eating and sleeping well, managing stress, training mental skills, training in the weight room, and managing recovery. I believe our mental toughness will separate us from the competition this weekend.
The Chargers will begin their quest for gold this Thursday at 3pm (MT). The match will start at 2pm for fans watching from the Pacific Time zone.
Thur, Feb 21 3pm (MT)/2pm (PT) Camosun (#3) vs COTR (#6) Watch Live
