UBC-Okanagam is the 2010 CCAA Women's volleyball champion! - The team led by Championship MVP Alex Basso is the 2010 Champion after winning the final against F-X Garneau Élans in three sets. Quebec City team did give a good opposition, but the attacks came from everywhere from West Side. Congratulations to both teams who gave us a great final!

Here are the all-stars for the tournament

First team : Catherine Laurin (FX Garneau), Eve Thibault (FX Garneau), Caitlin Nyhus (UBC Okanagan), Leigh Dreher (UBC Oknagan), Katie Graves (Red Deer College), Kaylene Ehret (MacEwan).

Second team: Audrey Poulin-Beaulieu (FX Garneau), Lenai Schmidt (UBC Okanagan), Quin Schulzke (Red Deer College), Jessica Clutton (Red Deer College), Lindsay McLoughlin (Vancouver Island University), Landis Doyle (Humber College)

MVP: Outside hitter Alex Basso (UBC Okanagan)

Fairplay award: Libero Éliane Bilodeau (Cégep de l'Outaouais)

Final day roundup

Alberta rematch crowns Red Deer again - The battle of Alberta for the bronze was still the Queens thing, even though they battled very hard to win it again. After losing 0-1, the Queens attack repeatedly hit the MacEwan Griffins who gave a great defensive match. They even tight it up 2-2 for a 5th set won by the Queens by a slight margin of 3 points. Earlier today, Red Deer won 3-0 against Humber College from Ontario while Vancouver Island was the first team in the tournament who won a set in a loss. MacEwan won 3-1 in a tight match from beginning to the end against Humber College.

Second day roundup

FX Garneau will face UBC-O for the Gold - No. 3 seed François-Xavier Garneau will face the no. 1 team in Canada, UBC-Okanagan Heat, tomorrow for the last game of the Championship and its to determine the best women volleyball team in the country. FX Garneau won 3 good battles against Red Deer earlier in the afternoon to be in that final. Catherine Laurin's smashes helped Quebec City team to win it. As for the UBC-O Heat dynamic duo, Alex Basso and Leigh Dreher, led the strong attack against BC rivals Vancouver Island University, to get in the Final.

Outaouais got Humbered - Ontario representative easily beat the host team 3-0. Landis Doyle, Kelly Nyhof et de May Strutt were attackers that rocked in that game. Libero Éliane Bilodeau played well to dig up the balls from Humber attack. The youngest team in the tournament will play the 7th-8th position against MSVU at 2:30 pm while Humber advance to bronze semis tomorrow morning. 

MacEwan difficultly passed MSVU - It was a tight game like no others in this tournament and the Alberta representatives did had something more to get to the bronze semi-final. Maybe its Kaylene Ehret, player of the game, who led the attack, orMeagan O'Neill amazing smashes that gives the second set to the Grant.

Interresting facts - The Organizing Committee took a radar and check what was the power of the best female athletes in the country. Leigh Dreher from UBC-O, lead the pack with a 74 km/h smash, followed by Catherine Laurin from FX Garneau.at 70 km/h. She also served at the same speed.

First day roundup

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Outaouais gets Heat's medecine - UBC-O have two All-Canadians for a reason, and both showed why they are a part of the best. Led by Alex Basso (2010 CCAA Player of the year) and Leigh Dreher (tonight's player of the game), the Heat past the Griffons 3-0. The Outaouais centre Éloïse Ouellet was the best player on the other side, blocking a couple of times the big smashes coming from the West Side. The Heat advance to the gold semi-final while the hosts will face the Ontario representatives at 3 pm.

Vancouver rumbles Humber College - Vancouver Island offense was too much for tight defense from Ontario. The no. 4 seed from BC advance to the second gold semi-final while Humber will try to rebound in the requalification for the bronze. Humber Theresa George was astonish in defense and was named team player of the game while Lindsay McLoughlin lead in VIU's attack.

F-X Garneau advance - The Élans of F-X Garneau drives to the second round with a 3-0 victory over the McEwens Griffins in the second game of the Championship. Left side Catherine Laurin drove the game with a couple of kills, but its the several blocks from Esther Gilbert that was noticed for the Player of the game title. The Griffins left side Meagan O'Neill was also as successfull as Laurin, if not more successful, and she deserved the same title for her team.

First one goes to Red Deer - In the first game of the championship, the Red Deer Queens did show why they are ranked no. 2 and advanced in the semi-final by winning 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-13) against the no. 7 MSVU Mystics. Right side Jessica Clutton and left side Jaclyn Neufeld led the attack, but the Player of the game was given to setter Quinn Schulzke who had a tremendous game. The Mystic give a good opposition in that first match and will have the chance tomorrow afternoon. Andrea Melanson, playing right side, was the Player of the game for MSVU.

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Basso and Marcoux Honored by the CCAA for their volleyball excellence!

March 12th, 2010 – The Women’s Volleyball National Championship Banquet held yesterday was a great success for those who contribute to make the 2009-2010 season unforgettable.

Kelowna’s Alexandra Basso, representing UBC Okanagan, has been chosen the Women’s volleyball athlete of the year. In only 44 sets played, she averaged 3.66 kills. She also helped her team to finish with a perfect record of 16-0 during the regular season. Pierre Marcoux is a successful volleyball coach working as a Phys. Ed. at Edouard-Montpetit, located on the South Shore of Montreal. Since the team joined the AAA league, he was part of the great progression of the Lynx, who finished first in the Quebec league this season with a 15-1 record.

Other than Basso, nine athletes were also honoured on the 2010 All-Canadians team. Leigh Dreher, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Claire Fergusson, Capilano University, Jessica Clutton, Red Deer College, Katie Seys, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Shawna Metcalf, Cambrian College, Jennifer Knowles, Mohawk College, Valérie Lemay, Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Catherine Laurin, Collège François-Xavier-Garneau and Laurie Marchbank, Mount Allison University were chosen as the National Elite.

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The 2010 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship begins!

Gatineau, March 11th, 2010 – The 2010 Canadian Colleges Athletics Association Women’s Volleyball National Championship Host Committee has put everything in place for the upcoming events. The firsts games scheduled are starting March 12th to conclude with the Bronze and Gold Medal Games, March 14th, at the campus Gabrielle-Roy of the Cégep de l’Outaouais.

Teams for the Championship are the University of British-Columbia Okanagan Heat, Queen’s Red Deer, Élans du Collège F-X Garneau, Vancouver Island Mariners, Humber Hawks, MacEwans’ Griffins, Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics and the host team, the Griffons du Cégep de l’Outaouais. Provinces represented for this Championship are British Columbia (2), Alberta (2), Quebec (2), Ontario and Nova Scotia.

The event ticket prices are as follows: Adult tournament pass: $25 - Student tournament pass: $10 - Adult day pass: $10 - Student day pass: $5 - Children under 12: Free. The Hosting Committee would like to thank the CCAA national partners: Baden, Carlson Wagonlit, Sport Canada, West Jet and Jostens Canada. Also many thanks to local partners: VSP Sports, Adidas, Ville de Gatineau, Loisir Sport Outaouais, Clarion Hotel, Budget Rental andTAG Radio X.