U Sports women's volleyball

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). Forty 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.

U Sports women's volleyball
FormerlyCWIAU Volleyball
CIAU Volleyball
CIS Volleyball
SportVolleyball
Founded1969
No. of teams40, in four conferences
CountryCanada
Most recent
champion(s)		UBC Thunderbirds (2019)
Most titlesUBC Thunderbirds (12)[1]
Related
competitions		U Sports Volleyball Championship
Official websiteusports.ca/en/sports/volleyball/f

Brief history

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]

Season structure

Exhibition season

To prepare for the season, teams will typically play a series of exhibition games against conference and non-conference opponents.[11][12] These games are usually played in September and/or October before the regular season and in December and/or January during the holiday break.[13][14]

The York Lions hosting the Toronto Varsity Blues in 2020.

Regular season

As of the 2019-20 season, the Canada West, OUA, and RSEQ regular seasons begin on the third weekend of October. The AUS schedule begins one week later. All regular season games are in-conference and the schedule ends in approximately mid-February.[15][16]

Both the AUS and RSEQ conferences feature six teams that play four games against each opponent (twice home and twice away) for a total of 20 regular season games.[12][16] In Canada West, there were 13 teams in one conference that play home and home matches against every opponent resulting in 24 total games played.[15] However, this format will change with the addition of the UFV Cascades beginning play for the 2020-21 season.[17] In the OUA, the 14 teams are divided evenly into a West and an East division with six home-and-home matches played within their divisions and seven matches played against inter-divisional opponents for a total of 19 regular season games played.[11][18] For the AUS and Cananda West conferences, teams will usually play the same opponent twice in one weekend for ease of travel and scheduling.

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.[19] 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.[20]

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

Playoffs

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.[16][21] In Canada West, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs and play best-of-three series in playoff brackets in the quarterfinals.[22] 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.[22]

The OUA is the only conference that features a single elimination format in all playoff games.[18] The top four teams from each of the two divisions qualify and play an inter-divisional format. This means the first-seeded team in the East Division plays the fourth-seeded team in the West Division and the second-seeded team in the East Division plays the third-seeded team in the West Division (and vice versa).[18] The winners of these games play semi-final games at the site of the highest remaining seed over one weekend. The conference bronze medal game and gold medal game (Quigley Cup) are played at the same site on the same weekend.

National championship
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.[23] 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.[23] The UBC Thunderbirds have won the most championships with 12 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 40 of the 49 championship matches as of the 2019-20 season.[8] The 2020 championship tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[24]

Teams

Membership

There were 39 teams that had participated in the 2019–20 Women's volleyball season. 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.[25][26] 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.[17][27][28] 40 teams are scheduled to compete in a 2020-21 season if one is played.[29]

Canada West
Further information: Canada West Universities Athletic Association
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceArenaCWCNC
University of British ColumbiaThunderbirdsVancouverBCWar Memorial Gymnasium1612
Trinity Western UniversitySpartansLangleyBCLangley Events Centre41
University of the Fraser ValleyCascadesAbbotsfordBCEnvision Athletic Centre00
Thompson Rivers UniversityWolfPackKamloopsBCTournament Capital Centre00
University of British Columbia OkanaganHeatKelownaBCUBC Okanagan Gymnasium00
University of CalgaryDinosCalgaryABJack Simpson Gymnasium93
Mount Royal UniversityCougarsCalgaryABKenyon Court00
University of AlbertaPandasEdmontonABSaville Community Sports Centre187
MacEwan UniversityGriffinsEdmontonABDr. David W. Atkinson Gymnasium00
University of SaskatchewanHuskiesSaskatoonSKPhysical Activity Complex133
University of ReginaCougarsReginaSKCentre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport00
University of BrandonBobcatsBrandonMBHealthy Living Centre00
University of ManitobaBisonsWinnipegMBInvestors Group Athletic Centre67
University of WinnipegWesmenWinnipegMBDuckworth Centre07
  • 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
Further information: Ontario University Athletics
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceArenaOCNC
West Division
Lakehead UniversityThunderwolvesThunder BayONThe Wolf Den00
University of WindsorLancersWindsorONSt. Denis Centre10
University of Western OntarioMustangsLondonONAlumni Hall113
University of WaterlooWarriorsWaterlooONPhysical Activities Complex00
University of GuelphGryphonsGuelphONGuelph Gryphons Athletic Centre00
McMaster UniversityMaraudersHamiltonONBurridge Gymnasium30
Brock UniversityBadgersSt. CatharinesONBob Davis Gymnasium00
East Division
Nipissing UniversityLakersNorth BayONRobert J. Surtees Student Athletics Centre00
York UniversityLionsTorontoONTait McKenzie Centre150
University of TorontoVarsity BluesTorontoONGoldring Centre121
Ryerson UniversityRamsTorontoONMattamy Athletic Centre11
Trent UniversityExcaliburPeterboroughONTrent Athletics Centre00
Queen's UniversityGaelsKingstonONAthletics & Recreation Centre10
Royal Military College of CanadaPaladinsKingstonONSAM Gym00

Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
Further information: Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceArenaCCNC
University of OttawaGee-GeesOttawaONMontpetit Hall50
Université LavalRouge et OrQuebec CityQCPEPS gymnase251
McGill UniversityMartletsMontrealQCLove Competition Hall00
Université de MontréalCarabinsMontrealQCCEPSUM140
Université du Québec à MontréalCitadinsMontrealQCCentre sportif UQAM00
Université de SherbrookeVert et OrSherbrookeQCCentre sportif Yvon-Lamarche92
  • Note: The Ottawa Gee-Gees moved from the OUA to the RSEQ starting with the 2016-17 season.[30]

Atlantic University Sport
Further information: Atlantic University Sport
UniversityVarsity NameCityProvinceArenaACNC
Université de MonctonAigles BleuesMonctonNBCEPS60
University of New BrunswickRedsFrederictonNBRichard J Currie Centre190
Acadia UniversityAxewomenWolfvilleNSStu Aberdeen Court00
Dalhousie UniversityTigersHalifaxNSDalplex Fieldhouse251
Saint Mary's UniversityHuskiesHalifaxNSHomburg Centre60
Memorial University of NewfoundlandSea-HawksSt. John'sNLThe Field House30

References
  1. "History". U Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  2. "Varsity Blues Women's Volleyball History". Toronto Varsity Blues. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  3. "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. "History of U Sports". U Sports. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  8. "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. "2019-20 OUA Women's Volleyball Schedule". Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  12. "2019-20 AUS Women's Volleyball Schedule". Atlantic University Sport. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  13. "Wesmen Classic 53". Winnipeg Wesmen. December 18, 2019.
  14. "Annual Excalibur Classic begins on Jan. 5". York Lions. December 20, 2017.
  15. "Women's Volleyball Composite Schedule". Canada West. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  16. "Volleyball universitaire féminin division 1, Calendrier / Résultats / Classement" (in French). RSEQ. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  17. "Cascades volleyball teams get green light for move to Canada West". University of the Fraser Valley. May 9, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  18. "Women's Volley, Participating Schools". Ontario University Athletics. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  19. "Mary Lyons Award (Player of the Year)" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  20. "Awards Sport Awards". U Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  21. "2019-20 AUS Women's Volleyball Postseason Schedule". Atlantic University Sport. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  22. "Women's Volleyball Playoff format". Canada West. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  23. "Playing Regulations: Women's Volleyball" (PDF). U Sports. June 25, 2019.
  24. "Women's volleyball nationals cancelled at U of C". Calgary Sun. March 13, 2020.
  25. "St. FX ending women's volleyball program to cut costs". Global News. June 11, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  26. "CBU to discontinue women's volleyball program". CBU Capers. March 8, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  27. "Expanded Season For UBCO Volleyball". castanet.net. June 25, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  28. "New sport applications approved for TWU, MacEwan, UFV". Canada West. May 7, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  29. "U Sports cancels 2020 fall championships due to COVID-19". U Sports. June 8, 2020.
  30. "Women's Volleyball History". Ottawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
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