# Valmiera Glass Via (basketball)

Valmiera Glass Vidzemes Augstskola (Valmiera Glass ViA, also stylized Valmiera Glass/ViA) is a basketball club based in Valmiera, Latvia, playing in the Latvian–Estonian Basketball League. Originally a student club of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (Vidzemes Augstskola), Valmiera started playing in the Latvian Basketball League's third division in 2011, and expanded its roster to include semi-professional and fully professional players. In 2018, the team was promoted to the Latvian–Estonian Basketball League, the newly formed combined top basketball division of Latvia and Estonia, after bankruptcy of the former Latvian champion club Valmiera/Ordo. The head coach of Valmiera Glass ViA is Lithuanian Tomas Keršis.

## History

The club was founded in 2009 as the student team of Vidzeme University. It debuted in 2011 in the Latvian Basketball League's Third Division (LBL3) as Vidzemes Augstskola. With Roberts Zeile as player coach and Sandis Amoliņš in roster, the team won the division championship in spring of 2012 and was promoted to the Second Division (LBL2). In 2012, Oto Grīnbergs joined the team and became focal point in team's offence, managing to be leading scorer for next five seasons.
In 2014, the team began a partnership with Valmiera Fibreglass and played as "Vidzemes Augstskola/Valmiera Glass". It had also established a farm team "Vidzemes Augstskola/Valmiera Glass-2" which played in LBL's third division. In 2016, the football club Valmieras FK and the basketball club were brought together under the organization name "SO Valmiera Glass / Vidzemes Augstskola" or "Valmiera Glass ViA".
Gradually, the club rose in second division rankings, and made a finals appearance in 2017, where they lost to BK Jelgava. That sparked discussion of Valmiera Glass ViA joining the Latvian Basketball League's highest division. In 2018 Valmiera Glass ViA lost the second division bronze medal series to BK Gulbenes Buki, finishing in fourth place, but due to the bankruptcy of Valmiera city rival club Valmiera/Ordo Valmiera Glass ViA was promoted to newly founded Latvian–Estonian Basketball League.
Before the 2018/2019 season, professional Valmiera basketball players Jānis Kaufmanis, Edmunds Elksnis and Māris Ziediņš joined Valmiera Glass ViA. In the regular season, the team's record was 8-20, finishing 12th place overall and 6th among Latvian teams. Although it missed the Latvian-Estonian playoffs, the team qualified for the Latvian LBL playoffs and played in the quarterfinal series against BK Ogre, where they lost the series 0-3.
In the summer of 2022, club announced that prominent Latvian national team players and brothers Dairis Bertāns and Dāvis Bertāns have become members of the club board. The club has a strong bond with Bertāns' Basketball School in Valmiera.

## Roster
### Depth chart

| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 | Reserve |
| C | Rostyslav Novitskyi | Kahliel Spear | | |
| PF | Frankie Policelli | Ervīns Jonāts | Verners Kohs | |
| SF | Artis Ate | Ričards Liberts | | |
| SG | Edmunds Elksnis | Ojārs Bērziņš | Dāvis Ozers | Pauls Katlaps |
| PG | Daquan Smith | Mike Nuga | Kristofers Karlsons | |

### Retired numbers

Retired numbers of Valmiera basketball :
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Ceremony date |
| 8 | Dainis Bertāns | C | 1992–2004 | 08/01/2014 |
| 11 | Sandis Amoliņš | SG | 1997–2014 | 07/03/2020 |

## Season by season

| Season | League | Regular season | Playoffs | Notes |
| 2011–12 | LBL 3 | 2nd | Champion | promoted to LBL 2 |
| 2012–13 | LBL 2 | 8th | QF | |
| 2013–14 | LBL 2 | 8th | lost in play-in series for QF | |
| 2014–15 | LBL 2 | 5th | QF | |
| 2015–16 | LBL 2 | 1st | QF | |
| 2016–17 | LBL 2 | 4th | Runner-up | |
| 2017–18 | LBL 2 | 5th | 4th | promoted to LatEstBL |
| 2018–19 | LatEstBL | 12th overall (6th in Latvian) | DNQ in League Playoff QF in Latvian Playoff | |
| 2019–20 | LatEstBL | 11th overall (5th in Latvian) | Did not happen due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2020–21 | LatEstBL | 11th overall (5th in Latvian) | DNQ in League Playoff QF in Latvian Playoff | |
| 2021–22 | LatEstBL | 10th overall (4th in Latvian) | DNQ in League Playoff QF in Latvian Playoffs | 0-5 in ENBL, 6th place |
| 2022–23 | LatEstBL | 15th overall (6th in Latvian) | DNQ in League Playoff QF in Latvian Playoffs | 0-7 in ENBL, 15th place |
| 2023–24 | LatEstBL | 13th overall (6th in Latvian) | DNQ in League Playoff QF in Latvian Playoffs | 0-7 in ENBL, 16th place |

## Notable players

* Sandis Amoliņš
* Jānis Kaufmanis
* Edmunds Elksnis
* Māris Ziediņš
* Viktors Iļjins