Pilots upset Blazers, hoist back-to-back championships

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This article was published 01/03/2024 (494 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Providence Pilots men’s volleyball team pulled off the upset, downing the nationally ranked Canadian Mennonite University Blazers in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC) in their home gym Feb. 25 to notch their second consecutive provincial championship.

The Blazers were without MCAC player of the year Cameron Gayleard, who was injured early in 2024, and couldn’t return to the lineup in time for the championships.

While the scoreboard recorded a three-set sweep, it was anything but smooth flying for the Pilots, as the team trailed 18-17 in the first set and 20-17 in the third, before battling back to win both.

“It’s an awesome feeling, and the culmination of a lot of work,” first-year Providence head coach Paul Armbruster said after the match.

“I’ve been really proud of how much the group has grown and improved and impressed over the year. It’s an excellent celebration.”

It was an excellent overall match for the head coach, who used a clever substitution pattern to get more size up front when the match called for it.

The Pilots used 11 players in games over the weekend, including a 3-0 semi-final win over St Boniface.

“We were a total team effort,” Armbruster said.

It was clear both teams were bringing extra effort in the championship final. Noah Boshman, who led the Pilots in kills, even blasted a hit off a CMU blocker, and into the rafters at the Niverville Rec Centre’s AMF Fieldhouse. The ball went so far out of the court, a replacement needed to be hurried back to the players.

That championship burst was evident at the service line, with players looking to generate instant offense while putting the ball in play. Armbruster noted left side Arturo Duran Tosta and middle Sebastian Verdaguer had a strong weekend from the service line.

“The coach in me likes a likes a little bit more efficiency from the service line to be honest,” Armbruster said, laughing and referring to the errors that can come with an aggressive serve.

“Everyone was pretty hyped up, and pretty pumped. I thought it was a really good game, there was lots of back and forth.”

The Blazers had a great regular season despite the injury, only losing a single time before the championship. One of those wins included a match early in the season against Providence where the Pilots took a 2-0 set lead, only to let CMU storm back and win the match.

Armbruster said the Pilots team that let that lead slip away was very different than the one which was able to pull out a 28-26 third set victory.

“I feel like our team has been on a consistent progression upwards,” he said.

“We did a good job of continually improving and growing… We definitely had some good composure, confidence and belief on our side.”

With the victory, Providence locks in a spot at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national championships, which will be hosted in Victoria this season.

The Pilots are guaranteed to have three consecutive years at nationals, with the men’s final coming to Niverville next season.