Niverville ready to host best college volleyball teams again
Advertisement
By all accounts the 2025 men’s volleyball Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national championships were a success, but organizers are hoping for an even better experience for fans, players and officials this season.
Providence College will once again welcome the rest of the country, as the school and the Niverville Resource and Recreation Centre hosts the CCAA women’s national championships next month.
“There’s always a little bit of anxiety with a big event like that, all the pieces have to come together, but having done it once before, we’re so much further ahead,” tournament director Chris Koop said.
“We’re excited to host the nation.”
The fan and player experience at last year’s championships was second to none, but Koop and his team are still looking to improve.
Players received meals, swag and all kinds of perks that made the national championship feel special. Koop knows exactly what it takes to succeed at this level, with his son (Paxton Koop) playing at the CanadaWest championships in Winnipeg and the USports national championships in Brandon with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen last year as well. The province also played host to the USports women’s national championships.
“I attended all of those events alongside ours, and I don’t want this to sound arrogant or anything else… but what these college athletes get and the experience they had, felt like a much more elevated experience than any of those other championships, which I am very proud of,” Koop said.
“We’re fortunate in our line of work, you can take something and elevate it with just a little bit of thought… It’s the sum of all those little parts, all those little details that make it feel like a high-end event.”
Koop said things like creating custom medal trays for the finals add up quickly. Organizers even provided a toiletries basket for each team, just in case they were missing any essentials.
“Providence has been exceptional in terms of allowing a budget that allows for taking care of coaches and athletes,” Koop said.
“I think it makes a difference for the experience for the athletes.”
The tournament is on pace to recruit enough volunteers, with Koop quipping they had “too many volunteers,” at the men’s nationals.
Anyone who wants to volunteer or buy tickets should visit the tournament’s website, riseasone.ca. The first matches are set for March 11, with a full tournament pass $60. Medal games will be March 14. Koop added he’s hoping to get more schoolkids in attendance for games during the day and is hoping to hear from more teachers/schools in the next month.