U SPORTS VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: McGill Martlets seeded eighth at Nationals, will open against No.1 Spartans

RICHMOND HILL, Ont. — The McGill University Martlets will be seeded eighth at this week’s U SPORTS women’s volleyball championship. The seedings were announced on Sunday for the 2023 national tournament, March 17-19, at UBC’s War Memorial Gym in Vancouver, B.C.

McGill will open on Friday at 6 p.m. (EDT) against the Trinity Western Spartans, who swept their way to the Canada West championship. This is the fourth straight time, and the sixth since 2015, that the Spartans have entered the tournament as favourites.

This is McGill’s fifth lifetime trip to the Nationals and the Martlets have twice won their opening game. In the previous appearances at the Final Eight championship, McGill has posted a combined 4-7 record. The Martlets finished fourth (1-2) at Calgary in 2022, tied for seventh (0-2) at Brandon, Man., in 2016, third (2-1) at Hamilton, Ont., in 2012 and sixth (1-2) at Edmonton, Alta., in 1997.
 
Championship website: https://usports.ca/en/championships/volleyball/m
 
The complete field, in seeding order, is as follows:

1. Trinity Western Spartans (CW champions: 22-2 regular season, 5-0 playoffs)
2. Brock Badgers (OUA champions: 18-2, 3-0)
3. Mount Royal Cougars (CW finalists: 19-5, 4-1)
4. UQAM Citadins (RSEQ champions: 13-5, 4-0)
5. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions: 17-3, 4-1)
6. Manitoba Bisons (CW bronze medallists: 14-10, 3-2)
7. UBC Thunderbirds (hosts: 18-6, 0-2)
8. McGill Martlets (RSEQ finalists: 12-6, 2-3)

 
The eight participating teams are seeded with the requirements that conference playoff results be respected, that conference champions be seeded no lower than No. 6, and that first-round conference matchups be avoided for the conference finalists.
 
All four quarterfinals will be played on Friday, as follows: (all times Eastern)

• 4 p.m.: No. 5 Dalhousie vs. No. 4 UQAM
• 6 p.m.: No. 8 McGill vs. No. 1 Trinity Western
• 9 p.m.: No. 2 Brock at No. 7 UBC
• 11 p.m.: No. 6 Manitoba vs. No. 3 Mount Royal

 
Consolation games will take place on Saturday at 4 and 6 p.m., with the semifinals set for 9 and 11 p.m. On Sunday, the fifth-place game is set for 3 p.m., with the bronze medal game following at 5 p.m. and the championship game at 7:30 p.m.
 
Tickets for the event are currently on sale at usports.ca.
 
All 11 games from the eight-team competition will be webcast live on CBC Sports digital platforms (English) and USPORTS.ca (French), up to and including Sunday’s gold medal game. The full webcast schedule will be available throughout the tournament at usports.ca/en/broadcast.

SOURCE:
Alicia Brown
U SPORTS

and

Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
@EarlZukerman (twitter)