Whether its Florida or Nanaimo, winning just seems to follow Marlie Temple.
Two weekends ago, the former South Delta secondary school volleyball standout helped the Vancouver Island University Mariners capture the CCAA women's national championship in their own backyard, capping an outstanding season with a four set victory over Calgary's Mount Royal Cougars in the title match.
The 6-foot, starting middle blocker was credited with five kills as the Mariners avenged last year's loss to the Royals.
The national championship win was Temple's second in as many years.
After graduating from SDSS, she was recruited to play for Pasco-Hernando Community College in New Port Richey, Florida.
She promptly earned a starting position and was a second team all-star in her freshman season. A year later, she helped the school compile a 32-6 record and its first-ever NCJAA Division Two national championship.
Despite the impressive run down south, Temple's desire was to continue her studies back at home. The three-time provincial team player was eventually convinced by one of her former club teammates in South Surrey to enroll at VI University, much to the delight of head coach Shane Hyde.
"We were very excited to have a player of Marlie's athletic ability join our team," he said. "Marlie is a player we can use at any position. I had the opportunity to watch Marlie in her high school and club career and I was always a fan."
Meanwhile, Delta secondary graduate Andrew Robson helped the Douglas College Royals men's volleyball team come within one win after capturing the national championship.
The Royals, who were coming off a provincial championship win on home court two weeks earlier, settled for the silver medal after falling to Ontario's Humber Hawks in four sets last Saturday night in Abbotsford.
Douglas had advanced to the final with a memorable victory over host and defending national champion Columbia Bible College.
