Tritons volleyball teams aim high

Our Tritons women’s team defeated Edmonton 3-1 (25-18, 26-28, 25-22, 25-19) in the CAF West Regional Tournament gold medal game, while the men swept Cold Lake in straight sets 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-18). Both teams successfully defended their 2023 titles and moved on to the CAF Nationals, Apr. 14 to 18, at CFB Borden.

“Both our men’s and women’s team were ecstatic to take home the gold at Canada West for the second year in a row,” said Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Noelani Shore of HMCS Venture, Tritons women’s team manager. “I’ve been with the Base volleyball team for ten years, so it was very rewarding to see the team come together in the finals and take it in four sets.”

Sailor 3rd Class (S3) Stacey Smith of Naval Fleet School (Pacific) received the Tritons’ Most Valuable Player honours for the women’s gold medal game. LCdr Shore says the high-energy and superior on-court skills of Sailor 1st Class Monique Lutyk of Base Accommodation and S3 Smith were vital in the Tritons’ overwhelming success throughout the tournament.

Esquimalt women finished the tournament’s round-robin undefeated with straight-set wins over Winnipeg, Edmonton and Wainwright before dispatching Wainwright in the semi-finals. Now they want more, and LCdr Shore says confidence is high for her and her teammates taking home the gold at Borden.

The Tritons men won two matches and lost two during round-robin play before registering a 3-0 straight-sets sweep of Comox in the tournament semi-final. Corporal (Cpl) Brandon Rivera, a Signals Technician with Transport Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (TEME), was named the tournament’s Outside Hitter, Most Valuable Player (MVP).

“We are incredibly happy, and it feels great to be Canada West Champions two years in a row,” said Cpl Riviera. “Players on both teams put in the work all season and we are overjoyed with the prospect of being able to prolong our season as we prepare for the nationals.”

Cpl Rivera credited his teammate, Lieutenant (Navy) Sam Lowery of the Quality Assurance Work Centre – Esquimalt, for his stellar efforts throughout the tournament. He says Lt(N) Lowery worked diligently to learn a new role as the team’s setter this season and then captured single-game MVP honours on two occasions, including the tournament championship game.

Cpl Rivera has represented the Base at CAF Nationals on three occasions. He and his teammates settled for the last two seasons’ silver medal at the nationals.

“Our expectation is to win the title this year,” said Cpl Rivera. “With most of our starting lineup returning this year, we are more seasoned, experienced, hungry and entirely focused on winning gold at this year’s tournament.”