Valmiera Glass Vidzemes Augstskola (Valmiera Glass ViA, official "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. From 2021, the club also participates in the European North Basketball League, until 2026, when changed to FIBA Europe Cup.
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 " 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.
The 2025–26 season was one of the most successful in the club's history. The team was led for his first full season as head coach by Kaspars Vecvagars, for whom it was a debut campaign in the head-coaching role. During the season, Valmiera Glass ViA won three trophies. In February the team claimed the Latvian Basketball Cup, defeating BK Ventspils 84–70 in the final in Ventspils. The final's most valuable player was the club's Lithuanian point guard Dominykas Stenionis, who scored 15 points, made six assists and recorded one steal. In April, Valmiera became champions of the Latvian–Estonian Basketball League for the first time in its history, beating hosts Tartu Ülikool/Maks & Moorits 100–95 in the final in Tartu. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was named the most valuable player of the final. In May the club also won the Latvian Basketball League title for the first time. In the best-of-five final series, Valmiera defeated BK Ventspils 3–1, winning the decisive fourth game 92–89 on the road. This was the first time in the LBL's 35-year history that the gold-medal series took place without the participation of a Riga club. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was crowned MVP of the final series, capping a season in which Valmiera won all three available domestic titles.
Roster
Current roster
Depth chart
Squad changes for the 2026–27 season
In
Out
* Left/joined the team during the season
Historical rosters 2025/2026 season roster Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2 Left team during season C #29 Omar Pajič #7 Andrew Pacher #4 Pavlo Dziuba #88 Rinalds Mālmanis PF #12 Verners Kohs #34 Jānis Mārtiņš Kalniņš SF #5 Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones #23 Dāvis Ozers #0 Curtis Hollis SG #9 Artis Ate C #1 Kristofers Karlsons #24 Krists Kristers Ozers PG #3 Dominykas Stenionis #6 Mārcis Vītols #2 Markuss Sipko
2024/2025 season roster Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2 C #15 Rostyslav Novitskyi #2 Kahliel Spear PF #12 Verners Kohs #7 Ervīns Jonāns #31 Frankie Policelli SF #9 Artis Ate #5 Ričards Liberts #22 Markuss Sipko SG #3 Edmunds Elksnis C #27 Ojārs Bērziņš #6 Dāvis Ozers PG #1 Daquan Smith #0 Kristofers Karlsons #4 Michael Abiodun Nuga
Retired numbers Retired numbers of Valmiera basketball No.PlayerPositionTenureCeremony date 8 Dainis Bertāns C 1992–2004 08/01/2014 https://www.valmiera.lv/lv/jaunumi/sporta_zinas/8963_bk_valmiera_a_kaufmana_un_d_bertana_godinasanas_spele_piekapjas_bk_ventspils/ 11 Sandis Amoliņš SG 1997–2014 07/03/2020 https://www.valmiera.lv/lv/jaunumi/sporta_zinas/22743_sestdien_pret_ventspili_laukuma_dosies_valmieras_basketbola_legenda_sandis_amolins
Honours Latvian Basketball Cup: Champions: 2025-26
Latvian–Estonian Basketball League: Champions: 2025-26
Season by season Season League Regularseason Playoffs Latvian CupEuropean competitions Notes2011–12 3 2ndChampion promoted to LBL 22012–13 LBL 2 8th QF 2013–14 LBL 2 8th lost in play-in series for QF2014–15 LBL 2 5th2015–16 LBL 2 1st QF2016–17 LBL 2 4thRunner-up2017–18 LBL 2 5th 4th promoted to LatEstBL2018–19 12th overall(6th in Latvian) in League Playoff in Latvian Playoff2019–20 11th overall(5th in Latvian) Did not happen due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21 11th overall(5th in Latvian) in League Playoff in Latvian Playoff 2021–22 10th overall(4th in Latvian) in League Playoff in Latvian Playoffs European North Basketball League 2022–23 15th overall(6th in Latvian) in League Playoff in Latvian Playoffs European North Basketball League 2023–24 13th overall(6th in Latvian) in League Playoff in Latvian PlayoffsQuarter-finals European North Basketball League 2024–25 5th overall(4th in Latvian) in League Playoff in Latvian PlayoffsQuarter-finals European North Basketball League 2025–26 1st overall(TBD in Latvian) Champions in League PlayoffTBD Champions European North Basketball League
Notable players
Sandis Amoliņš Jānis Kaufmanis Edmunds Elksnis Māris Ziediņš Viktors Iļjins
See also Valmieras FK, the related football club with the same logo BK Valmiera, previous Valmiera basketball team
References
External links