Royals men’s basketball team
wins provincial title

> Women’s basKetball team earns bronze

Jake Wray
News Editor

 

he Douglas College Royals men’s

basketball team are provincial
champions after coming first in the
PACWEST provincial tournament.

The gold-medal match saw the
Royals best the Vancouver Island
University Mariners by a score of 76 — 59.
The Mariners, who were playing in their
home territory as the tournament was
held in Nanaimo March 1 - 3, were the
top team in the league at the end of the
regular season with 17 wins, compared to
the third-seeded Royals who had u wins.

Royals’ guard Grant Campbell
scored 24 points in the final match
and was named player of the game. He
was also named tournament MVP.

In order to reach the final match
against the Mariners, the Royals bested
the Quest Kermodes in the quarter-
finals by a score of 79 - 65. Campbell
lead the team offensively in that game
as well, scoring 20 points. In the semi-
finals, the Royals beat the Langara
Falcons by a score of 96 - 85. Forward
Reese Morris lead the Royals offensively

 

in the semi-finals with 19 points.
This is the first championship
title for the Royals men’s basketball
team since the 2007/2008 season,
when they beat Camosun College
in the final round. The Royals were
also the provincial champions in the
2006/2007 season. Prior to that, their

Women's volleyball
team wins provincial
championship

> Next stop: National championships

Colten Kamlade
Staff Reporter

 

Fe the first time in over two decades,
the Douglas College women’s volleyball
team has won the provincial title.

History was made for the Royals
on February 24 when Vania Oliveira led
the team to victory in the final match
against the Vancouver Island University
Mariners. The Royals won in three straight
sets (25-20, 25-12, 25-20), according to an
article posted on the Royals’ website, as
Oliveira racked up 12 kills, Caet McCorkell
10 kills, and Vicky Schley nine kills.
Oliveira was named the tournament’s
most important player and McCorkell was
named player of the match for Douglas.

The team will now go on to compete
in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic
Association (CCAA) women’s volleyball
national championships, which will
be hosted by Grande Prairie Regional
College, from March 7 to 10. The
Vancouver Island University Mariners
will advance to the CCAA Nationals

as well. It has been 16 years since the
Royals have gone to the nationals.

After the game, Royals coach
Jeff Ross emphasized the team spirit
and the dedication that helped his
players win the match in an interview
with PACWEST communications
staff posted to the Royals’ website.

“Tt feels great,” Ross told PACWEST
interviewer Ryan Watters. “I’m just really
happy for the girls. They've worked so
hard all year and they definitely deserve
it. The biggest thing for us is we just
play for each other. Our culture is just
all supporting each other and making
sure everyone's held accountable to what
we're doing out there, and I think they
executed and did everything really well”

There might have been some
extra tension in the final match
due to the fact that the Royals
lost to the Mariners last year.

“Td say that was on the girls’ minds
a little bit. It was a little bit of a payback,”
Ross said in the post-game interview.

When asked about his thoughts on
going to the nationals, Ross said the team

Photo of Royals via VIU Mariners Flickr

last championship title came in 1994.
With the PACWEST gold medal
under their belt, the Royals have
won the opportunity to represent BC
at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic
Association national basketball
championship, which will be held
in Quebec from March 13 - 17.

Meanwhile, the Royals women’s
basketball team took bronze in the
PACWEST provincial championship.
They beat the Vancouver Island
University mariners by a score
of 77 - 67. Royals forward Sarah
Jorgenson lead the team offensively
and was named player of the game.

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Photo of Royals via Douglas College Royals

conference awards. Oliveira was named
women’s player of the year in the
PACWEST conference and a first team
all-star. McCorkell was named rookie of
the year and an all-rookie team selection.

is looking forward to the experience.
“We're excited. It’s going to be fun.
It’s the first time they’ve been there
since ’o2, so we're going to enjoy it and
just enjoy the experience, and hopefully
we can come away with a medal.”
The Royals also received several