VIU Women's Volleyball Team hosts world class team from China

By Brent Dunlop

The Vancouver Island University Mariners Women’s volleyball team were the proud hosts of the best women’s volleyball squad ever to play in Nanaimo.

The 2007-08 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Champions and China’s Zhejiang Kai Yuan Professional Women’s Volleyball team met head to head on Monday, September 22nd at the VIU Gym. The China team overpowered the VIU Mariners winning 3-0. Coach Shane Hyde thought the girls where a little overwhelmed by the Chinese and were beaten before they got onto the court.

VIU International education hosted a lucheon for both teams in the Arbutus room, where each player was presented with a gift.
Team China presented Athletic Director Bruce Hunter with an elaborate scroll of the city of Zhejiang.

The Zhejiang team is a top club team; the highest level below the Chinese National Team. Featuring a number of athletes who have either played for or are training for a spot on the Chinese National Team, the team is also referred to as a "provisional team." They are from the Zhejiang Province, south of Shanghai and have a full-time training centre in the city of Hangzhou. Earlier in the season, the Zhejiang team took Team USA to four and five sets in its two matches while the US national team was on its pre-Olympic exhibition tour.

The team is touring Canada September 21-27 before returning to China. Zhejiang’s 21-person contingency, led by HU Zhongdong – Vice President of Zhejiang Sports College, is making its way to Vancouver and Vancouver Island following their four-match northwest US trip where they competed against Portland State University, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University and Seattle University.

Featured from Zhejiang were former national players YIN Yin and QI Lili as well as LUO Yu, who currently plays for China’s Junior National team.

VIU Coach Shane Hyde, 2008 CCAA Coach of the Year across all sports in his eighth year leads a team that has dominated the BCCAA over the last decade amassing an incredible record of 183 wins and 10 losses. The Mariner's team has won nine of the last 10 provincial titles, and went undefeated last year 23-0 on their way to the first National women’s volleyball title for the BCCAA and VIU.

VIU players to watch for this season are Lindsay McLoughlin (power hitter), MVP from last year's BCCAA provincials, Britt Grydeland a fourth year force in the middle, and Leigh Dreher (power hitter) a 1st team all-star at the 2008 Nationals.

Following their visit to VIU, China’s Zhejiang Kai Yuan women’s volleyball team travelled to Victoria and played UBC Thunderbirds on Tuesday, Sept. 23.