Brent Mutis, CapU sport info & compliance officer
The CCAA's No. 1-ranked Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners showed their class Saturday afternoon in a straight-sets win over the Capilano Blues a night after the Blues pushed them to five sets.
VIU was a focused group in the second game of the weekend set. CapU was competitive in the first two frames but the higher-ranked side rode momentum to a decisive win in the third set to complete the pair of wins.
Vanesa Gatto recorded 10 digs for CapU Saturday, giving her double digits for both games on the weekend, while first-year middle blocker Natalie Rourke saw some time at setter and looked solid despite playing out of her natural postion.
In Friday's opener, a determined Blues side took the Mariners to five sets - the first time VIU had been pushed that far in any match this season - before falling 3-2.
Sibby Bos led the way for the Blues with a career-high 11 kills out of her middle blocker position. Nnya Mbaoma, making her return to the lineup after suffering a broken finger Nov. 12 at Camosun, showed no effects from her time away and finished with 10 kills.
CapU took the opening set in extra points only to see the Mariners take the next two. But the Blues did not lay down, digging deep to force a fifth set with a Courtney Muller (interview audio below) kill giving the Blues the fourth set 25-21.
WVB | We're going to a fifth set! The Blues take the fourth set 25-21 tying it up 2-2 here in #NorthVan against the @VIUMariners. #GoBlues #PACWESTBC pic.twitter.com/LhqAK9ioJQ
— Capilano University Blues (@CapilanoBlues) January 21, 2023
VIU, as they had done all night, ran the offence through Lytvynenko and Kitchen and took it 15-9. The pair of VIU hitters finished with 22 and 23 kills respectively.
Blues setter Lauren Roworth bested 30 assists for the night and was a threat from the service line all night, collecting five aces.
The Blues are home again this coming weekend with the College of the Rockies Avalanche coming to town. Friday's match is a 6 p.m. start and things get going at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
