AROUND OUA: Lions open season with four set win over Lancers
In its regular season opener on Friday (Oct. 23), the York University Lions men's volleyball team posted a 3-1 win against the Windsor Lancers at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
SCOREBOARD
Lions open season with four set win over Lancers
In its regular season opener on Friday (Oct. 23), the York University Lions men's volleyball team posted a 3-1 win against the Windsor Lancers at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
In a rematch of last year's bronze medal game, the Lions started the game off with much enthusiasm. Overall York was better off of the rallies, but the Lancers trailed closely behind to make it a tight game nonetheless. Both teams tallied five aces each but the Lions dominated in stats, outnumbering the Lancers in points, kills, blocks, assists and digs.
In the first set Arthur Szwarc (Toronto) launched bullets over the net with intimidating serves, causing Windsor to make a few hiccups defensively. Szwarc played an impeccable defensive game as well, picking up six blocks in total. The game point came off of a failed Windsor serve and the Lions won the first set 25-22.
The second set saw the Lions very successful off the left and central areas of the court. The men stood tall to hold the wall up and grab points off of blocks. However Tyler Covach (Kitchener, Ont.) was the star of the show. Not only did he nail four kills (three back-to-back spikes and one tip) that allowed the Lions to finish the second set off with a score of 25-20, but he also finished the match with 22 kills in total.
Heading into the third set, the Lions lost a bit of momentum despite their success at the start of the game. Covach returned to the court with much confidence to hit four spikes, but after the Lancers were able to grab a 16-11 lead midway through the set, the Lions couldn't bounce back in time to regain the lead. The set finished 25-21 for the Lancers.
The fourth set, however, was the Lions' to take. Leading 2-1 the men were able to keep their composure and finish off the match strong. Alexander Duncan-Thibault (Scarborough, Ont.) spiked several balls into the Lancers' end, and Logan Mend (Naramata, B.C.) finished the game with an astounding total of 39 assists for his team as the Lions took the fourth set 25-18.
Next up, the Lions will have their eyes set on a win against the No. 7 Western Mustangs. The match will take place on Saturday (Oct. 24) at 4pm at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
Source: York Lions
Lakers lose heartbreaker to Mustangs
It took the first set for the Nipissing Lakers men's volleyball team to get their game to where they wanted it to kick off the season, but they turned things up in a hurry.
After losing 25-19 to open up the season to the always tough Western Mustangs, the Lakers responded with a really strong second set, winning 25-23 to even the match up.
In the third, riding the momentum of the second set victory, the Lakers were in control and came away with another victory, this time 25-15 to put the Mustangs on their heels.
The veteran Mustangs team refused to quit, however, as they stormed back with a strong effort of their own to tie the match at two and send the season opener to a fifth and deciding set.
The Mustangs took the fourth set 25-15 to extend things and force the final set.
The teams went back and forth, with the Lakers actually holding a lead of 8-7, but from there, the Mustangs took off.
They scored seven of the next 10 points and grabbed a commanding 14-10 lead.
And what pretty much summarized the entire game, the Lakers fought back to close the gap to 14-12, but that was as close as Nipissing would get, as they would come up just short.
Cameron Branch led the Nipissing attack with 15 kills and 19 points, while Andy McWiggan had eight kills and 10.
Both Jack Peckham and Lyndon Sonego also made impacts, with Peckham tallying 12 points thanks to a big blocking effort and Sonego chipped in with 10 points.
The Lakers are back in action Saturday afternoon when they look to bounce back and even their record.
They hit the court at 3 p.m. to face the Windsor Lancers.
Source: Nipssing Lakers
Maar Scores 29 as Mac Edges Waterloo in Five Sets
What looked like a breezy season opener quickly turned into a slugfest on Friday, as the Marauders saw a two-set lead evaporate before recovering to the defeat the Waterloo Warriors 3-2 (25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 15-8) at the Burridge Gym.
Veteran outside hitter Stephen Maar put together a dominant offensive match, racking up 25 kills on 45 attempts versus six errors (.422) while adding three blocks and an ace. Danny Demyanenko also entered double digits, with 10 points on five kills, three blocks and two aces.
Waterloo was led on Friday by Aidan Simone, who scored 14.5 points including 12 kills, two aces and a block assist.
A blistering start to the first set saw Mac win seven of the first eight points, a lead they would build on as they raced to the technical timeout. While the Warriors managed to make a set of it — with their offence beginning to click — the home side took the overall lead when Andrew Richards put a cut shot to the floor for 25-17.
The improved Warriors hung with the Marauders for much of the second set, before a mid-set run put the hosts out front. McMaster led 16-12 at the technical timeout, and after inserting Richards back into the lineup, went on a 7-2 run to reach the finish line at 25-19.
Errors snuck into the Marauders game in set three, and the Warriors forced a timeout from the hosts when they took a 12-10 lead. Playing stout defence and out-dueling Mac at the net, Waterloo sent their opponents back to the huddle after a Jordan McConkey block of Danny Demyanenko gave them a 20-16 lead. With the help of Maar's ferocious hitting, Mac drew level at 23, but two consecutive errors sealed the set for Waterloo.
Momentum stayed firmly in the Warriors corner in set four, and they once again forced a timeout when a McMaster dig went wayward for 11-6. The Marauders slowly ate into the Warriors lead as the set progressed, and were within two points when the visitors called time at 21-19. But, in keeping with the theme of the set, an error cost the Marauders as a serve on game point found the net to bring up a fifth and deciding frame.
They saw their lead disappear, but the Marauders responded strongly in fifth, winning four of the first five points of the shortened set and forcing a timeout when Maar won the joust for 4-1. Controversy struck at the changover, when the Warriors felt they had successfully a ball ruled dead that gave Mac an 8-5 lead. That was all the advantage that the Marauders needed, and they went on a 7-3 run to seal the match when a Waterloo attack sailed long.
Having avoided the season-opening upset, the Marauders will look to build on their Friday performance when they host the RMC Paladins at the Burridge Gym on Saturday.
Source: McMaster Marauders
Gryphons fall in four sets to Varsity Blues in season opener
Guelph, ON - The W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre was filled to capacity as the Guelph Gryphons Men's Volleyball team took on the Toronto Varsity Blues in the OUA regular season opener Friday night (October 23rd). Guelph lost 3 sets to 1, with set scores of 15-25, 12-25, 25-21, 20-25.
Toronto's Varsity Blues began red hot, making few errors while forcing several by the Guelph team. Toronto's Virgo Nathaniel and Aleksa Miladinovic led the way defensively for the Varsity Blues who took the opening set easily at 25-15. U of T would carry the momentum from the first set into the second set taking it 25-12 to go up 2-sets-to-none. In the third set, the Gryphons would come to life sparked by several electrifying kills by Luke Woud. U of G newcomer Dallas Keith and third year standout Josh Green chipped in with some strong play defensively, highlighted by a big block helping the Gryphons take a 12-11 lead in the 3rd set. The Gryphons would keep the lead for the remainder of the set and take the third set 25-21.
After a slow start to the fourth set, the Gryphons fought back to make things interesting. In the end, the Varsity Blues were able to hold on to win the fourth set 25-20 to take the match 3-sets-to-1. The Gryphons are right back in action again on Saturday (Oct. 24) when they will travel to Toronto to face the Ryerson Rams at 7pm.
Source: Guelph Gryphons
