The Providence University College (PUC) Pilots exacted some revenge with a reverse of last year’s match result against Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) Blazers at the 2023 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC) men’s volleyball championship final held at the Université de Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg. First year libero Hector Ortiz earned Championship MVP honour.
The #2 seed PUC Pilots (13-5 regular season record; 2-0 playoff record) upset the #1 seed CMU Blazers in a straight sets victory (25-23, 25-22, 25-20) at the 2023 MCAC Men’s Volleyball Championship Final on Sunday, February 26.
A great contest between the top two teams in the MCAC this season. It was another rematch of the 2019, 2020 and 2022 championship finals which had PUC victorious in 2019 while CMU prevailed the past two seasons before this match-up.
Ortiz was a standout on defence throughout the championship weekend. “Our defence and tenacity were next level,” Pilots Head Coach Cody Quiring said. “We’ve never had that before this weekend and Hector brought us to that next level. There is a reason he is one of the top liberos in Canada. He showed it today and I’m incredibly proud of him – but it is 14 guys, we are 14 strong.”
Ortiz talked about his teammates and the team’s overall performance during the MCAC playoffs. “We played unreal – that was amazing,” he said. “I am so proud of the guys and to get this award, but first of all, we’re a team.
With the conference championship, PUC captures the conference title for the first time since 2019 and claims their sixth overall title in the program’s history (2001, 2002, 2003, 2016, 2019 and now 2023).
In addition, the Pilots now advances as the MCAC representative to the 2023 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Volleyball National Championship hosted by Humber College in Toronto, ON from March 8-11.
The Teguicgalpa, Honduras and Business Administration student-athlete was also fourth in conference digs with 135 during the 2022-23 regular season.
MCAC Athlete of the Week winners for 2022-23 season
Week 1 (ending Sept. 11, 2022)
WSOC: Sara Boissonneault – USB
MSOC: Jordi Haskerkehrer – USB
Week 2 (ending Sept. 18, 2022)
WSOC: Kendra Mansoff – ACC
MSOC: Camilo Rodriguez – BU
Week 3 (ending Sept. 25, 2022)
WSOC: Tara Boulanger – USB
MSOC: Johnathan Kohan – BU
Week 4 (ending Oct. 2, 2022)
WSOC: Ava Temple – PUC
MSOC: Matheus Souza – BU
Week 5 (ending Oct. 9, 2022)
WSOC: Tiegan Kroeker – CMU
MSOC: Kevin Lopez – ACC
Week 6 (ending Oct. 16, 2022)
WSOC: Kalyna Démaré – USB
MSOC: Garreth Rayner – PUC
Week 7 (ending Oct. 23, 2022)
WSOC: Katie Moniot – USB
MSOC: Sean Kirkpatrick – PUC
Week 8 (ending Oct. 30, 2022)
WSOC: Marijka Yaschyshyn – USB
MSOC: Ayman Soussi – USB
Week 9 (ending Nov. 6, 2022)
WVB: Angéline Ritchot – USB
MVB: Vaughn Zimmer – ACC
Week 10 (ending Nov. 13, 2022)
WVB: Valeria Gonzalez – USB
MVB: Albert Francisco – CMU
Week 11 (ending Nov. 20, 2022)
WBB: Briana Ehrmantraut – CMU
MVB: Noah Boschman – PUC
Week 12 (ending Nov. 27, 2022)
WVB: Tyra Peters – PUC
MVB: Sebastian Verdaguer – PUC
Week 13 (ending Dec. 4, 2022)
WVB: Paige Wright – CMU
MVB: Cameron Gayleard – CMU
Week 14 (ending Jan. 15, 2023)
WVB: Layla Reichert – CMU
MBB: Daniel Cameron – CMU
Week 15 (ending Jan. 22, 2023)
WVB: Amanda Bergen – PUC
MFUT: Abdoul Niangadou – USB
Week 16 (ending Jan. 29, 2023)
WVB: Elle Snyder – ACC
MVB: Josh Werbiski – CMU
Week 17 (ending Feb. 5, 2023)
WFUT: Alexi Gagnon – USB
MBB: Joshua Armstrong – PUC
Week 18 (ending Feb. 12, 2023)
WBB: Anna Pyne – CMU
MBB: Joshua Armstrong – PUC
Week 19 (ending Feb. 19, 2023)
WFUT: Sara Boissonneault – USB
MFUT: Sam Wetstein – BU
Week 20 (ending Feb. 26, 2023)
WVB: Valeria Gonzalez – USB
MVB: Hector Ortiz – PUC
