2025-26 looks to be a great season for the Mariners. Not far removed from not only a PACWEST title, but also one of the busiest recruiting seasons by a team in recent memory, expectations have never been higher. In this article, I will recap VIU's most recent season, what they did during the recruiting period, and predict where they'll be next season.
Previous Season Recap
No team generated as much conversation last year as the VIU Mariners. Two years removed from a national championship in 2023, the Mariners were desperate to recapture that high following a disappointing bronze medal finish in 2024.
Harriette Mackenzie was a leader both on and off the court for VIU, leading the conference in points per game while finishing top three in rebounds per game and field goal percentage.
Despite no other Mariner averaging more then 10 points per game, VIU still claimed the top spot in the conference with their stifling zone defense, which is designed to gradually "wear people out," per head coach Tony Bryce.
For a brief period in late 2024, however, their on-court performance was secondary to a greater issue. Harriette Mackenzie was the target of a flagrant foul during a game against the CBC Bearcats, where she was grabbed by fifth-year forward Madeline Beerwald and thrown beneath the basket. CBC head coach Taylor Claggett, who had lobbied to officials to keep Mackenzie out of the game earlier that day, was later seen applauding the move from the bench.
In an Instagram video published later that month, the star forward derided the Bearcats for condoning and encouraging the act, which she believed was rooted in religious transphobia. Mackenzie, though transgender, had identified as female for most of her life, and found safety in basketball despite her low testosterone, which she said was one tenth of a normal woman.
After an investigation by the PACWEST, Claggett was suspended and VIU's later games against CBC, which would have been in Abbotsford, were postponed and eventually cancelled. The incident also led to CBC losing the right to host that year's PACWEST championships.
Two weeks removed from the incident, during a game against the Douglas Royals (who had ironically played CBC the week prior), fans dressed in rainbow attire came in droves. Though Mackenzie only scored 8 points that game, the Mariners defeated the Royals 60-46, sending the many fans home happy on, as I put it during the game, "a night Nanaimo will never forget."
Though Douglas would get their revenge the next day, that would be VIU's only loss of the season. They ended the year on a 16-game winning streak, cruising to the #1 seed in the conference.
After dismantling the host Capilano Blues in the semifinals and punching a ticket to that year's national tournament, they met CBC in a grudge match for conference gold. VIU would defeat CBC for a third time that year, winning their seventh PACWEST title and moving into sole possession of second all-time in that category, only behind the Langara dynasty of the 1970s.
Nationals would go rather poorly for the Mariners, beginning with a quarterfinal loss to the Mohawk Mountaineers, their first loss that calendar year. They would be eliminated in the bronze semifinals by the SAIT Trojans, proving to be a bitter ending on what was otherwise an outstanding year.
Recruits
When recruiting season opened, the Mariners were quick to bring in several guards, many of which Bryce likely created in a lab to fit his system.
In replacing versatile American guard Makayla Kimble, the Mariners scoured the island, then the province, and eventually the entire West Coast.
First came Elana Russell, a scoring wing from nearby Mark R. Isfeld Secondary who averaged 25 points per game during the 2024 AAA provincial championships. She will forgo her senior year to join the Mariners early, but is expected to see heavy minutes in 2026-27, where she will reunite with another recent VIU commit, all-purpose forward Katie Hartig.
Versatile guard Emily Sprott was next. Sprott carries a winning mentality from GW Graham, where she won team MVP with the Grizzlies while playing in several high-level tournaments. She joins a very potent VIU backcourt alongside three-point specialist Allison Bentley, all-purpose scorer Rachel Labrador, and floor general Mackenzie Cox.
That backcourt was bolstered even further with two-way guard Mikella Campanile, perimeter threat Aysia Kumar, and lanky wing Annabelle Neufeld.
The cherry on top is Sammy Shields, who returns to Vancouver Island after spending the past four seasons split between the University of Calgary and San Jose State of the NCAA. While playing time eluded her during her stints with the Spartans and Dinos, her ability to shoot the basketball has not deteriorated. Bryce's confidence in her is increasingly justified by her 38-point game in her middle school days.
This is not to say that the frontcourt has been forgotten. With Mackenzie Hall's graduation and subsequent departure, a power vacuum exists at small forward in the starting lineup. Despite two strong in-house options in Colleen Nkrumah and Kaia Simpson, the latter of whom is entering her final season, Bryce still wanted insurance.
His search took him south of the border, where he plucked Sarah Cook from Skagit Valley Community College. Capable of playing almost any position, Cook is a good rebounder for her size and can score from anywhere on the court.
Expectations
The Mariners are in for another strong season. Fueled not only by the strongest backcourt in the province, but also by their newfound hatred towards CBC, the Mariners are one of the few teams in the country that could realistically push for an undefeated season.
The defense should remain the team's calling card. They allowed the fewest points per game last season, even with Imaan Lali missing most of the season with an ankle injury. Not only is she returning this season, but she has a new wingman in Mikella Campanile to provide even stronger pressure for opposing shooters, strengthened even further by ball hawk Trista Thorn.
The frontcourt should also see a similar growth with Harriette Mackenzie continuing to dominate, Colleen Nkrumah developing, and Kaia Simpson's last hurrah. Combine that with Katie Hartig stepping in as a secondary big? Sign me up.
Offensively, the Mariners were already potent, as their midrange-heavy lineup led the league in points per game, but the additions of Shields, Cook, and Sprott, as well as Elana Russell waiting in the wings could send VIU's offense to another dimension.
This is not to say that the road to a repeat championship will be easy. CBC is looking for revenge, while Douglas has a proven track record of downing VIU in crucial games. Camosun is also expected to be much stronger, and are eager to make the Island Rivalry (which needs a better name if you ask me, maybe something like the Malahat Showdown?) respectable again.
As for me, I'll still be up in my loft, watching it all unfold. You might see me at a few games next year, but you'll definitely hear me.
The next article I release will cover the men's side. Make sure to stay tuned. Until next time, this has been Kaleb Green, the voice of VIU.
-K
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