Lakeland Rustlers Claim Third Consecutive National Title
| OSHAWA, Ont. - The Lakeland Rustlers have won the 2025 CCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship at Durham College, winning for a third consecutive year. The Humber Hawks earn their first silver medal, and the VIU Mariners take home bronze.
The VIU Mariners secured the bronze medal at the national championship with a determined four-set victory (21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-16) over the Élans du Garneau at Durham College on Saturday afternoon. After dropping the opening set, VIU found its rhythm and executed a strong all-around performance to take control of the match. The Mariners’ attack efficiency proved to be the difference, as they posted a .353 hitting percentage while limiting Garneau to a .289 mark. Grace Brisebois was instrumental in VIU’s win, earning player of the match honours with a well-rounded performance of nine kills, 11 digs, and a service ace. Her consistency on both sides of the ball helped the Mariners maintain momentum after a closely contested second set. For Garneau, Jessica Mireault led by example and was named her team’s player of the match, contributing six kills, six digs, and a block. The Élans battled hard in the first two frames but struggled to sustain their offensive output as VIU applied increasing pressure. The Mariners’ balanced attack featured contributions from multiple players, with Aimee Skinner (13 kills, eight digs) and Regan Ingram (10 kills, 12 digs, three blocks) stepping up in key moments. Setter Keira Crellin orchestrated the offence with 42 assists while adding 10 digs of her own. Garneau’s offence was paced by Maëli Cormier, who tallied a match-high 15 kills, while Marilou Couture chipped in with 12 kills and nine digs. With the victory, VIU caps its national championship run with a bronze medal, adding to the program’s history of success on the national stage. Since first winning a national bronze in 1996, VIU now has 20 women’s volleyball national medals in program history, finishing on the podium in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 as Malaspina University-College and 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, and now 2025 as Vancouver Island University. The Lakeland Rustlers are the 2025 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Champions after defeating the Humber Hawks in a hard-fought four-set battle (25-20, 27-25, 25-16, 25-22) at Durham College on Saturday night. Lakeland showcased an efficient offensive performance, registering a .269 hitting percentage while limiting Humber to just .163. Their balanced attack, coupled with strong defensive play, proved to be the key in securing the program’s national title. Setter Emma Letkeman, named player of the match for Lakeland, orchestrated the offence masterfully with 40 assists, eight digs, and a solid .400 hitting percentage. Her ability to spread the ball effectively kept the Humber defence on their heels throughout the match. Humber put up a resilient effort, highlighted by Rachael O’Dell, who earned player of the match honours for the Hawks. She was a force at the net, contributing eight kills and a game-high eight solo blocks, proving crucial in keeping Humber competitive, particularly in the second-set win. Lakeland’s offence was led by Jenay Varga with 14 kills and 19 digs, while Carly Hawryluk was dominant at the net, hitting an impressive .480 with 12 kills and a block. Defensively, the Rustlers matched Humber with 77 digs, led by Seanna Trumier with 17. For Humber, Hannah Manners (nine kills, 12 digs) and Lexie Zicari (five kills, seven digs) stepped up, but the Hawks struggled to maintain offensive efficiency against Lakeland’s strong net presence. Humber became the first team in OCAA history to earn a silver medal at the CCAA women’s volleyball championship. The Hawks now have three national medals all-time in women’s volleyball, with two previous bronze medal finishes in 2016 and 2023. Lakeland completed the three-peat, winning their fourth national gold in program history, with the previous three coming in 2017, 2023 and 2024. Lakeland now has six national medals all-time, including a silver in 2013 and bronze in 2018. Championship Most Valuable Player Chuck Gullickson Exemplary Leadership Award
Championship First Team All-Stars Jenay Varga, Lakeland Rustlers Championship Second Team All-Stars Marilou Couture, Élans du Garneau With the championship officially coming to an end, the countdown begins to the 2026 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship in Niverville, Manitoba, home of Providence University College. |
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