U Sports women's volleyball

U Sports women's volleyball
FormerlyCWIAU Volleyball
CIAU Volleyball
CIS Volleyball
SportVolleyball
Founded1969; 55 years ago (1969)
No. of teams43, in four conferences
CountryCanada
Most recent
champion(s)		UBC Thunderbirds (2024)
Most titlesUBC Thunderbirds (14)[1]
Related
competitions		U Sports Volleyball Championship
Official websiteusports.ca/en/sports/volleyball/f

U Sports women's volleyball is the highest level of amateur play of indoor volleyball in Canada and operates under the auspices of U Sports (formerly Canadian Interuniversity Sport). 43 teams from Canadian universities are divided into four athletic conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of U Sports: Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CW), Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), and Atlantic University Sport (AUS). Following intra-conference playoffs, eight teams are selected to play in a national tournament to compete for the U Sports women's volleyball championship.

Brief history

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Organized university volleyball was first played in Ontario in the 1947-48 school year between the Toronto Varsity Blues and the McMaster Marauders where the two teams finished tied for the championship title.[2] Toronto would win the 1948-49 title in the following year. In the Western Canada Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WCIAU), the Saskatchewan Huskies were named the first champions in Western Canada for the 1949-50 season.[3][4] In 1950-51, volleyball was admitted as a sport into the Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WIAU) with Toronto, McMaster, Western, and OAC becoming the first four programs to compete in an Ontario league.[2] For the 1952-93 season, McGill and Queen's joined competition in the WIAU.[2] The Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association (AIAA) began awarding championships for volleyball for the 1959-60 season which was won by the UNB Reds.[5]

In 1969, the Canadian Women’s Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU) was formed to provide a national governing body for women's varsity sport in Canada.[2][6] In December 1969, the WCIAU proposed by that national championships should be established, which was accepted by the CWIAU.[7] Because this was accepted in the middle of the school year, an unofficial national championship was held at the University of Waterloo and won by the Calgary Dinos in the spring of 1970.[7][8] The first official championship was awarded following the 1970-71 season and was won by the Manitoba Bisonettes over the Toronto Varsity Blues in a match that was decided in four sets.[9]

Beginning with the 1972-73 season, the Manitoba Bisons, Winnipeg Wesmen, and Regina Cougars played in the separate Great Plains Athletic Association (later renamed Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC)) while the Saskatchewan Huskies and teams from Alberta and British Columbia played in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA).[3] The GPAC and CWUAA combined back into one conference starting in the 2001-02 season.[10] The 2020 championship tournament and the entire 2020–21 season were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11][12]

Season structure

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Exhibition season

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To prepare for the season, teams will typically play a series of exhibition games against conference and non-conference opponents.[13][14] These games are usually played in September and/or October before the regular season and in December and/or January during the holiday break.[15][16]

The York Lions hosting the Toronto Varsity Blues in 2020.

Regular season

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As of the 2023-24 season, the RSEQ begin their season first, on the second Friday of October.[17] The Canada West conference begins play one week later and the AUS and OUA schedules begin on the fourth Friday of October.[13][14][18] All regular season games are in-conference and the schedule ends in approximately mid-February.[13]

The AUS conference features six teams that play four games against each opponent for a total of 20 regular season games.[14] In the RSEQ, eight teams play 21 conference games for a total of three games against each opponent.[17] In Canada West, there are 14 teams in one conference that play against 12 other opponents resulting in 24 total games played.[18] The OUA features 15 teams in one conference after previously having teams split in an east and west division.[13][19] OUA teams play two games against 10 different opponents, leaving four teams as non-combatants for each team's schedule.[19] For the OUA and Canada West conferences, teams will usually play the same opponent twice in one weekend for ease of travel and scheduling.[13][18]

Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Mary Lyons Award is awarded annually to the Player of the Year in U Sports women's volleyball.[20] The Mark Tennant Award is given to the Rookie of the Year and the Thérèse Quigley Award is given to the best well-rounded student (volleyball, academics and community involvement). An award was also given for the Libero of the Year, but it was discontinued after the 2014-15 season.[21]

UBC's Lisa Barclay won the 2014 Mary Lyons Award and three national championships.

Playoffs

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After the regular season, playoff games and series are held between the top teams in each conference to determine conference champions. In the AUS and RSEQ conferences, the top four teams qualify for the playoffs and play a best-of-three series including in the conference championship.[17][22] In Canada West, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs and play best-of-three series in playoff brackets in the quarterfinals.[23] The winners of these series play in best-of-three semifinals until two teams remain where they play in a single elimination conference championship game.[23]

The OUA is the only conference that features a single elimination format in all playoff games.[19] Teams are seeded one through eight and advance to the semi-finals in a bracket format with the higher-seeded team hosting each game.[19] The highest-seeded remaining team hosts the conference championship, the Quigley Cup.[19]

National championship

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Main article: U Sports Women's Volleyball Championship

The U Sports women's volleyball championship was officially established in 1971 following the organization of the Canadian Women’s Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU).[2][8] A predetermined host university stages the eight-team tournament over three days and finals games are played on the last day to award gold, silver, and bronze medals.[24] The host team is automatically qualified for the tournament, as are each of the conference champions. Three other teams are entered based on the strength of their conferences and their post-season finishes.[24] The UBC Thunderbirds have won the most championships with 14 gold medals won, followed by the seven titles won by each of the Alberta Pandas, Manitoba Bisons, and Winnipeg Wesmen.[8] The national championship has historically been dominated by the Canada West conference with those teams winning 43 of the 52 championship matches as of the 2023-24 season.[8] The 2020 and 2021 championship tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

Teams

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Membership

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There were 42 teams that had participated in the 2023–24 Women's volleyball season.[25][26] Recently, St. Francis Xavier and Cape Breton previously had programs is the AUS conference, but they were cut due to budgetary reasons in 2013 and 2015, respectively.[27][28] On the opposite side, the Canada West conference has seen a growth in team membership, adding the UBCO Heat in 2011-12, Mount Royal Cougars in 2012-13, MacEwan Griffins in 2014-15, and the UFV Cascades in 2020-21.[29][30][31] The UQTR Patriotes are playing in the RSEQ Division 1 as of the 2021-22 season after playing in the conference's Division 2.[32] After becoming the 57th member of U Sports, the UQAC Inuk fielded a women's volleyball team beginning in 2023.[33] The ETS Piranhas became a member of U Sports in 2024 with their women's volleyball team playing the same year.[34] The Ottawa Gee-Gees announced intentions to move from the RSEQ to the OUA beginning with the 2024-25 season.[35]

Canada West

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Further information: Canada West Universities Athletic Association
University Varsity Name City Province Arena CWC NC
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Vancouver BC War Memorial Gymnasium 16 14
Trinity Western University Spartans Langley BC Langley Events Centre 6 2
University of the Fraser Valley Cascades Abbotsford BC Envision Athletic Centre 0 0
Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Kamloops BC Tournament Capital Centre 0 0
University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat Kelowna BC UBC Okanagan Gymnasium 0 0
University of Calgary Dinos Calgary AB Jack Simpson Gymnasium 9 3
Mount Royal University Cougars Calgary AB Kenyon Court 0 0
University of Alberta Pandas Edmonton AB Saville Community Sports Centre 18 7
MacEwan University Griffins Edmonton AB Dr. David W. Atkinson Gymnasium 0 0
University of Saskatchewan Huskies Saskatoon SK Physical Activity Complex 13 3
University of Regina Cougars Regina SK Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport 0 0
University of Brandon Bobcats Brandon MB Healthy Living Centre 0 0
University of Manitoba Bisons Winnipeg MB Investors Group Athletic Centre 7 7
University of Winnipeg Wesmen Winnipeg MB Duckworth Centre 0 7
  • Note: Conference titles won by teams in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (1972-73 season to 2000-01 season) are not included in the above table due to lack of information on this conference.[3]

Ontario University Athletics

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Further information: Ontario University Athletics
University Varsity Name City Province Arena OC NC
Lakehead University Thunderwolves Thunder Bay ON The Wolf Den 0 0
University of Windsor Lancers Windsor ON St. Denis Centre 1 0
University of Western Ontario Mustangs London ON Alumni Hall 11 3
University of Waterloo Warriors Waterloo ON Physical Activities Complex 0 0
University of Guelph Gryphons Guelph ON Guelph Gryphons Athletic Centre 0 0
McMaster University Marauders Hamilton ON Burridge Gymnasium 3 0
Brock University Badgers St. Catharines ON Bob Davis Gymnasium 3 0
Nipissing University Lakers North Bay ON Robert J. Surtees Student Athletics Centre 0 0
York University Lions Toronto ON Tait McKenzie Centre 15 0
University of Toronto Varsity Blues Toronto ON Goldring Centre 12 1
Toronto Metropolitan University Bold Toronto ON Mattamy Athletic Centre 1 1
Trent University Excalibur Peterborough ON Trent Athletics Centre 0 0
Queen's University Gaels Kingston ON Athletics & Recreation Centre 1 0
Royal Military College of Canada Paladins Kingston ON SAM Gym 0 0
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees Ottawa ON Montpetit Hall 5 0
  • Note: The Ottawa Gee-Gees played in the RSEQ from 2016 to 2024.[35][36]

Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec

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Further information: Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
University Varsity Name City Province Arena CC NC
Université Laval Rouge et Or Quebec City QC PEPS gymnase 25 1
McGill University Martlets Montreal QC Love Competition Hall 1 0
Université de Montréal Carabins Montreal QC CEPSUM 15 0
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi Inuk Chicoutimi QC Pavillon sportif de l'UQAC 0 0
Université du Québec à Montréal Citadins Montreal QC Centre sportif UQAM 1 0
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes Trois-Rivières QC Centre de l'Activité Physique et Sportive 0 0
Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or Sherbrooke QC Centre sportif Yvon-Lamarche 9 2
École de technologie supérieure Piranhas Montreal QC Centre sportif ÉTS 0 0

Atlantic University Sport

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Further information: Atlantic University Sport
University Varsity Name City Province Arena AC NC
Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues Moncton NB CEPS 6 0
University of New Brunswick Reds Fredericton NB Richard J Currie Centre 19 0
Acadia University Axewomen Wolfville NS Stu Aberdeen Court 1 0
Dalhousie University Tigers Halifax NS Dalplex Fieldhouse 27 1
Saint Mary's University Huskies Halifax NS Homburg Centre 6 0
Memorial University of Newfoundland Sea-Hawks St. John's NL The Field House 3 0

References

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  1. ^ "History". U Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Varsity Blues Women's Volleyball History". Toronto Varsity Blues. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Women's Volleyball History". Canada West. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  4. ^ "Huskie Women's Volleyball History". Saskatchewan Huskies. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  5. ^ "Atlantic University Sport Women's Volleyball Past Champions". Atlantic University Sport. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "York Lions - Past Champions". York Lions. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "History of U Sports". U Sports. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d "U Sports Volleyball Championship History". usports.ca. U Sports. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  9. ^ Martin, Melissa (January 16, 2015). "The first spike: 'Bisonettes' claimed first women's national volleyball championship". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  10. ^ "Canada West 2001-02" (PDF). Canada West. July 26, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Women's volleyball nationals cancelled at U of C". Calgary Sun. March 13, 2020.
  12. ^ "U Sports unable to offer national championships in winter 2021". usports.ca. U Sports. October 15, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Women's Volleyball Composite Schedule". OUA. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c "2022-23 AUS Women's Volleyball Schedule". AUS. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  15. ^ "Wesmen Classic 53". Winnipeg Wesmen. December 18, 2019.
  16. ^ "Annual Excalibur Classic begins on Jan. 5". York Lions. December 20, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c "Volleyball universitaire féminin division 1, Calendrier / Résultats / Classement" (in French). RSEQ. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Women's Volleyball Composite Schedule". Canada West. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e "OUA announces women's and men's volleyball schedules for the 2022-23 season". Ontario University Athletics. July 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "Mary Lyons Award (Player of the Year)" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  21. ^ "Awards Sport Awards". U Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  22. ^ "Atlantic University Sport releases 2022-23 winter sports schedules". Atlantic University Sport. May 19, 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Women's Volleyball Playoff format". Canada West. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  24. ^ a b "Playing Regulations: Women's Volleyball" (PDF). U Sports. June 25, 2019.
  25. ^ "Standings, Women's volleyball". U Sports. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  26. ^ "Stage set for return to CW play in 2021-22". Canada West Universities Athletic Association. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  27. ^ "St. FX ending women's volleyball program to cut costs". Global News. June 11, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  28. ^ "CBU to discontinue women's volleyball program". CBU Capers. March 8, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  29. ^ "Cascades volleyball teams get green light for move to Canada West". University of the Fraser Valley. May 9, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  30. ^ "Expanded Season For UBCO Volleyball". castanet.net. June 25, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  31. ^ "New sport applications approved for TWU, MacEwan, UFV". Canada West. May 7, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  32. ^ "Un bon départ pour l'équipe de volleyball". UQTR Patriotes. October 18, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  33. ^ "UQAC becomes U Sports' 57th member university". U Sports. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  34. ^ "ÉTS becomes U Sports' 58th member university". U Sports. June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  35. ^ a b "Ottawa Gee-Gees announce intention to move women's hockey and women's volleyball programs to OUA in 2024-25". Ottawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  36. ^ "Women's Volleyball History". Ottawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
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