Chris Raeside
Sport Information Event Management, Media & Sport Development Officer
Estimated read time: 2 minutes
NANAIMO, B.C. — The Capilano University Blues women’s volleyball team left Nanaimo with a weekend split against the Vancouver Island University Mariners — and a milestone that puts this group alongside one of the most memorable starts in CapU history.
On Friday, the Blues swept VIU 3–0 (26–24, 25–23, 25–21), a win that matched the best start to a season by any Capilano program — the 2016–17 Blues women’s basketball team that opened 13–0. Twenty-four hours later, CapU battled deep into a fifth set, but the Mariners earned a 3–2 decision on Saturday (25–21, 24–26, 25–15, 21–25, 15–10).
Friday: Sweep on the road, pressure at the line, poise late
Friday’s match was decided in the margins. All three sets tightened late, and the Blues were steady when it mattered most — closing out the opener 26–24, then taking control of the key points again in sets two and three.
Serving pressure was a major separator. CapU finished with eight aces, led by Natalie Rourke’s four, and forced VIU into 37 errors across the match. Offensively, Abby Betker paced the Blues with 14 kills, while Sibby Bos delivered one of the most efficient lines of the night, recording eight kills on a .700 hitting percentage — a key reason CapU was able to keep momentum during the tight stretches.
Saturday: Blues respond twice, force a fifth set, come up short late
Saturday’s rematch had the feel of a playoff match: runs, responses, and both sides trading control.
VIU grabbed the first set 25–21, but CapU answered immediately with one of the biggest frames of the weekend — a gritty 26–24 set-two win that swung momentum back toward the Blues. After VIU took set three 25–15, CapU showed its resilience again, winning set four 25–21 to push the match to a deciding fifth.
In the tiebreak, VIU’s serving pressure was decisive as the Mariners took the fifth 15–10, but CapU’s compete level stood out over five sets. The Blues won the block battle 10–5, and Betker delivered a complete all-around performance with 17 kills, 12 digs, and four blocks. Nnya Mbaoma added 12 kills, while Mollie English piloted the offense with 31 assists. From the service line, Bos continued to create problems with three aces, and Rourke added two.
Up Next
The Blues now turn their attention to a two-match road set against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats on January 23 and 24 in Abbotsford, B.C.
