{"id":24960,"date":"2024-02-07T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T17:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=24960"},"modified":"2024-02-12T10:35:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T18:35:26","slug":"our-time-is-coming-we-can-feel-it-camosun-chargers-ready-to-finish-seasons-on-a-high-note","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2024\/02\/07\/our-time-is-coming-we-can-feel-it-camosun-chargers-ready-to-finish-seasons-on-a-high-note\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cOur time is coming; we can feel it.\u201d: Camosun Chargers ready to finish seasons on a high note"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Camosun Chargers teams all had different starts to their seasons, but they have one goal in common: to finish the season strong and make noise in the playoffs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Chargers volleyball teams have had very similar seasons as of the time of writing this story in late January. They both started their season with a 2-4 record and have turned it around since then. The women\u2019s team now holds a 7-5 record and the men\u2019s team now has a 6-6 record. Both teams won the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) championships last year and are looking to make history again this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The women\u2019s volleyball team has added a lot of new players to their roster this year, which is a contributing factor to why they had a slow start to the season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost half of our roster was new to the team this year,\u201d says women\u2019s volleyball head coach Brent Hall. \u201cBut a lot of members from last year\u2019s starting lineup did return, so we have a mix of experience and quite a lot of new players. Overall, our average age is pretty low.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most importantly, the women\u2019s volleyball team lost their libero and captain and currently have rookies in that position. Hall says that the team\u2019s transition led to a slow start but they were able to turn it around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was a factor of having a young roster\u2026 We knew that going in and we also knew that we would be a very talented team and a top team in the league, so we were focused in the first semester on developing the skills and coming together as a team,\u201d says Hall. \u201cWe knew there would be some bumps in the road, so I don\u2019t think anybody was panicking after we had a slow start, we just knew that we had to stick to the plan and keep pushing, and the way we have been playing in the last while, it has been really strong.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The team has been able to turn the season around, winning five of their last six games, and are now tied for the second seed, only six points behind first place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing that we were returning a lot of our important athletes from last year\u2019s team, our expectations coming in have been to place one position higher [in nationals],\u201d says Hall. \u201cWith a younger team this year I think that has led to a bit more inconsistency in our performance, but the way that we play when we play at our best is very good and gives us the belief that we can win provincials again and hopefully go on to do the same at nationals.\u201d<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s volleyball team came close to greatness as they lost the final at nationals last year; the team hopes to win gold this time around.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start of the season we maybe played at a championship level for a few points a match,\u201d says Hall. \u201cThe way that we have been practicing recently it\u2019s looking like we\u2019re playing at a championship level for most of the time. Where we need to go next is just to continue to grow in terms of our consistency to play the way that we are capable of, under pressure and from 0-0 until the end of the match.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Camosun Chargers men’s volleyball libero and captain Kristofer La Guardia (photo by Camosun Chargers Athletics).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Similarly, the men\u2019s volleyball team had a bumpy start to the season, winning only two of their first six games. Libero and captain Kristofer La Guardia says the team was never demoralized by their slow start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst semester we were doing a lot of learning, learning how to play with each other,\u201d says La Guardia. \u201cBecause we are so young, we were able to take the losses at the beginning of the season and really learn from them and not only better ourselves but also better the understanding of playing with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s volleyball team also lost some of their best players from last year, including their MVP Eduardo Bid\u00e1. However, the team has played better as of late, winning four of their last six games. Still, La Guardia believes the team is flying under the radar of other contenders.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have lost some very big players on our team, however, I think we have had a great deal of optimism in our gym. Yes, we are young, but we always come into the gym with the idea of \u2018Why not us?\u2019\u201d says La Guardia. \u201cTo the rest of the CCAA [Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association], I think a lot of people have swept us under the rug because we are so young. That is why we came up with the idea of \u2018Why not us?\u2019… Now with provincials coming up, I think we can prove all those people wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s volleyball team are the current two-time national champions and despite the feeling on the team that other teams are disregarding them due to their young ages, La Guardia believes that the ceiling for this team is much higher.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the sky is the limit, as long as we have that competitive drive day in and day out,\u201d says La Guardia. \u201cThis team has really connected both on and off the court. We have chemistry, and we have the skills, I think it\u2019s now the time to show it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, being the reigning and defending two-time champions conveys pressure to perform at the highest of levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a great deal of pressure on this team, and personally being part of that lineup that won those national championships,\u201d says La Guardia. \u201cNow that I\u2019ve been put in that captain role, I feel like I have that pressure of leading this team in the right direction and to the goal that we want, which is to win a third [championship]. I think the pressure that this team has gotten has kind of been put on by ourselves. We all just have a high expectation to perform.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CCAA national championships will be hosted at Camosun this year, meaning the Chargers automatically clinch a berth to the tournament.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel a bit of pressure\u2014in the past two championships the home team has always been in the finals,\u201d says La Guardia. \u201cSo, there is always that pressure\u2014because we are the host we should make it to the final\u2014but I also think because we are home we will have a good group of people come out and support us.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the contrary, the men\u2019s basketball team has been by far the best Chargers team from start to finish this season. They\u2019re sitting in second place in their conference with a 14-2 record, just two points behind first place. Head coach Geoff Pippus gives all the credit for their success to his players.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys [are the key to our success]; I think it has little to do with me,\u201d says Pippus. \u201cThey care about each other, they care about doing the right things, they care about working hard every day and getting better in practice. We have a really solid core of leaders who have been here for a couple of years and set the tone every day. I think it\u2019s a really special group of young people and they drive our culture here, they drive our work habits here, and those things right now are translating into winning games, which is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s team has been the best defensive team in the league, allowing only 65 points per game while they average 75 points scored per game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think for the last two years we have been in the conversation for the best defence in the league. It is something that we value, it gives us a chance to be in every game,\u201d says Pippus. \u201cShots sometimes go in and sometimes they don\u2019t, but if you do a good job of the things you can control like defending, rebounding, the sort of not-so-glamourous things, you give yourself a chance to win the game. By the metrics, we are the best team right now defensively, the guys have bought into what we are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Pippus acknowledges that not everything is perfect and admits the team has had offensive struggles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s a problem, it\u2019s certainly something we are working on,\u201d he says. \u201cI think it\u2019s a matter of us fine-tuning, making sure we are getting guys in the right spots, we want to play faster, we want to score more\u2026 I think we are capable of scoring at a high rate, but the fact that they are so consistent defensively has allowed us to squeak out [some] games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite their tremendous start to their season, Pippus believes that they are not yet the best version of themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have not seen our best yet, we have a lot of things to improve on,\u201d he says. \u201cI have been on the guys for the first couple of weeks of the semester about needing to improve, so I don\u2019t know what the ceiling is. We\u2019re going to have to find out together, but my hope would be a team that can compete at the provincial and the national level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pippus says the goal is to win the provincial championships.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil that point it\u2019s all about just building up so that we can be as ready as we can be for that one weekend,\u201d he says. \u201cVIU will be a great measuring stick, Capilano will be a great measuring stick, and Langara at Langara is going to be a really tough game, so we just want to put ourselves in the best position so that we are playing our best basketball in provincials.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Camosun Chargers women’s basketball point guard Rhiannon Ware (photo by Camosun Chargers Athletics).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the other hand, the women\u2019s basketball team has had a really rough start to their season. They now have a record of 7-9 and are looking to have a good second half of the season. However, in this case, the record does not reflect the talent that the team has.<\/p>\n

Point guard Rhiannon Ware is a top-three player in the league. She is top six in points, top four in assists, top three in steals, and a more impressive top 15 in rebounds. She\u2019s often the best player on the court but has had trouble staying healthy for the first part of the season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do not feel I\u2019m playing as well as I could to my full capacity just because I\u2019ve been dealing with so many small injuries all year so far,\u201d says Ware. \u201cI haven\u2019t been fully healthy all season yet. I\u2019m working to give [myself] a good balance to where I\u2019m healthy enough and able to recover in between weeks and games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, availability is the best ability. That\u2019s why Ware\u2019s focus is to be healthy for her team so they can reach their full potential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are playing well at the moment, we\u2019re obviously not exactly where we want to be, but we have so much growth to happen still and we haven\u2019t given the teams a look at what we can fully be yet,\u201d says Ware. \u201cWe are playing well, though\u2014we have a team full of vets and we have a great coaching staff. So we are all working together and helping each other out to get to that spot where we believe we should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite their current record, they have indeed played well. They have had some close games with the top teams\u2014one of those was against Capilano, who are currently in second place. Even though Ware didn\u2019t play against them she recognizes that the games against Capilano were the best they have played this season.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Our highlight] was our last semester home games when we played Capilano. They were very close games and, unfortunately, they did not come out in our favour,\u201d she says. \u201cThat pair of games is probably the closest that we have played to our full potential, and, again, it did not go our way but the overall score did not reflect on our team chemistry and the hard work that was put into it. This semester we are in a better position to see those games through in our favour.\u201d<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s basketball team is now finally turning their season around. They are on a three-game winning streak and they have the opportunity to win the next four as they play the bottom two teams next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we play at our best, we\u2019re going to give a lot of teams trouble. We already gave the top teams in the league a lot of trouble without playing up to our full potential,\u201d says Ware. \u201cI believe that when we get there, we are going to get noticed\u2026 We just haven\u2019t gotten recognition yet. So, when everyone gets on the same page, we are really going to make something happen and we are going to turn this around\u2026 Our time is coming; we can feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Camosun Chargers teams all had different starts to their seasons, but they have one goal in common: to finish the season strong and make noise in the playoffs.\u00a0 The Chargers volleyball teams have had very similar seasons as of the time of writing this story in late January. They both started their season with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,305],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-february-7-2024"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24960"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24964,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24960\/revisions\/24964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}