The Camosun Chargers women’s volleyball team took home their first win of the season on October 17, going 3-2 against Douglas College in their home opener. The Chargers gave a dominant performance and secured their victory in a nail-bitingly close final set. Even for players who weren’t on the court, like fifth-year outside hitter Karynn Hampe, this win was huge.
“It’s always nice to win a home opener,” says Hampe. “It’s a great feeling, especially with our new team. Experiencing that first win together is always so exciting, particularly on a home-opener night because the energy in the gym is just electric. You can just feel all the love and support from friends and family, and community.”
The team has undergone some notable changes in recent history, causing a clear shift to their foundation. They parted ways with head coach Brent Hall back in April, as he elected to pursue an assistant coaching position with the University of the Fraser Valley. In his place, Scott Freeburn was hired, introducing a period of adjustment for the team.
“I really liked having [Brent] as a coach, so I was a little bit nervous when we were getting a new coach, but Scott has been so awesome,” says Hampe. “He’s been so completely involved with our team, and you can really feel how much he cares about the team… Our old coach was really great and our new coach is really great. So we’ve been very lucky.”
But the goodbyes didn’t just end with Hall, as the team also felt the loss of a number of valued players from years prior. Perhaps most notably, team captains Avery Hansen and Paige Roslinsky have both moved on to the University of Victoria, while Thalia Cooke is playing for the University of Saskatchewan. This shift, too, has posed a challenge for the Chargers.
“I think our team’s biggest challenge is just so much change and so much turnover from last year,” says Hampe. “All three of our captains from last year are no longer with the team, and with the new coach, it’s just a lot of turnover. So I think the biggest challenge is just finding the balance between keeping old traditions and also starting new ones as a team, and finding that good balance and good team chemistry. But I think it’s going really positively so far.”
Current captains Edyn Van Brabant and Olivia Trionfi have both risen to the occasion, adding a level of ease to the team’s transitional period.
“Our captains are super lovely and super awesome, and I think they’re doing an awesome job of managing the turnover from the team, and setting new standards,” says Hampe.
The women’s volleyball team also welcomed a number of new players this season, eager to establish themselves in the wake of last year’s PACWEST silver medalists.
“As cliche as it sounds, our team really is a family,” says Hampe. “It’s crazy because we spend so much time together and our new players just really blended in great with our team.”
While the outlook is positive, there’s still clear work to be done. With two games left in November, the team still has a chance to solidify their new dynamics and climb the leaderboard toward their goals.
“Ultimately, I think it’s every team’s goal to win provincials and go to nationals, you know? So, of course, that’s one of our goals,” says Hampe. “But I think another one of our goals is just to develop as a team.”