OUA Men's Volleyball Roundup (Feb. 12)
February 9, 2018
Toronto 0 Guelph 3
GUELPH, Ont. – Friday night at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre, the Gryphons men's volleyball team picked up a straight sets win over the visiting University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Set scores were 25-20, 25-21 & 25-20. With the win, the Gryphons improve to 6-8 on the season while U of T falls to 6-8. The Gryphs remain locked in a battle for the final playoff spot in the OUA West with three games remaining on the regular season schedule.
The Gryphons got off to a fast start Friday night, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the opening set. The Gryphons would rack up 18 kills to just 4 errors in the opening set, which was punctuated by a Zach Newman cross-court kill to give the Gryphons a 25-20 first set. Newman had 8 kills in that opening set.
In the second set, Gryphon rookie Zarko Ubiparip would help spark the Gryphs late as the 6-foot-4 Kitchener native would come up with a pair of big blocks late to help the Gryphs take the final four points of the set en route to a 25-21 win.
The Gryphons were efficient in attack in the third set, racking up 10 kills to just 2 errors. Zach Newman led all U of G players in points (15 points, team-high 12 kills), while Joshua Green (10 digs) and Samuel Kloke(9 digs) helped lead the way defensively. Samuel Nothnagel finished with a team-high 3 blocks.
Source: gryphons.ca
Brock 1 York 3
The York University Lions men's volleyball team welcomed the Brock Badgers to home court Friday night. After a loss in the first set, the Lions bounced back to win three in a row, defeating the Badgers 3-1 at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
In the opening set, the Badgers picked up a 27-25 win over the Lions.
The Lions came back to defeat the Badgers 25-20 in the second set. The Lions got off to an early lead, making it impossible for the Badgers to catch up. This win for the Lions tied the match score at 1-1.
The third set also saw another Lions win, this time by a 10-point margin. However, the set was not always a clear victory for the Lions. They started off trailing the Badgers and had just narrowly surpassed them at 16-12 at the technical timeout. Following the timeout, the Lions roared ahead, only allowing the Badgers to add three more points in the remainder of the set. The Lions' win of 25-15 gave them a lead in the match at 2-1.
The Lions continued to dominate on their home court throughout the fourth set, picking up their third win of the match narrowly, at 25-22, to take the match.
Tyler Covach was the top scorer for the Lions, accumulating 16 points (14 kills, one solo block, two assisted blocks) over the four sets. Andrew Shotbolt wasn't very far behind, earning 15.5 points (15 kills, one assisted block). Shotbolt led the team in digs with seven.
Setter Logan Mend was once again strong, recording 47 assists and putting up nine points.
On the Badgers' side, Alex Carter and Dean Globocki tied for high-point honours, earning 12 points each. Felipe Costa led the team in digs with 10.
Source: yorkulions.ca
February 10, 2018
McMaster 3 Nipissing 1
Drawn into a battle in North Bay, the Marauders variety of offensive weapons eventually won the day Saturday.
The U SPORTS eighth seed McMaster rebounded from the loss of the second set to defeat the Nipissing Lakers in four (25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 30-28) and extend their conference winning streak to 13 matches.
A familiar trio did the offensive damage for the Marauders, as Matt Passalent (Hamilton, ON), Andrew Richards (London, ON) and Brandon Koppers(Georgetown, ON) accounted for 40 of McMaster's 49 kills on the afternoon.
The third-year opposite Passalent was McMaster's leading scorer, killing 17 of 32 hitting attempts versus seven errors (.312) while adding an ace and one and a half blocks for 19.5 points.
Richards and Koppers chipped in 13 and 10 kills respectively, while each thumping down three aces.
Nipissing veteran Cameron Branch was exceptional in a losing effort, with 18 kills and a block and a half to match Passalent's total of 19.5 points.
But the Lakers lacked supporting scorers the likes of which the Marauders boasted Saturday, and were frequently wasteful from the service line.
The hosts posted a -20 differential from the line (one ace versus 21 errors) in contrast to McMaster's -11 (10 aces versus 21 errors).
Source: marauders.ca
Toronto 0 Waterloo 3
Jordan McConkey (Stratford/) put on a spectacular display on Saturday night at the PAC, leading his Warriors to a straight sets win over the visiting Toronto Varsity Blues. The Warriors took the first two sets 25-20 before cruising past the Blues in the third 25-12.
McConkey put down 11 kills on just 13 attempts for an incredible kill percentage of .846. The fifth year middle also posted five blocks and seven digs in the win.
Waterloo moved to within one game of the .500 mark with their second straight win. Their 6-7 record has them sitting in fifth in the OUA west but with two games in hand on Guelph, have room to make their move up the standings.
Other Warriors getting in on the offence were Braden Cok (Waterloo/) with eight kills and Aidan Simone(London/) with six. Simone also put away one service ace which came on match point.
Defensively it was Simone and Deman Dulat (Mississauga/) with strong efforts each with eight digs while Colm Guyn (Lethbridge/) racked up 27 assists in the victory.
Source: athletics.uwaterloo.ca
Trent 0 Guelph 3
GUELPH – It was a performance worthy of the event. The Guelph Gryphons men's volleyball team said goodbye to three veteran pieces – and then followed that up with a dominant display. The Gryphons defeated the Trent Excalibur 3-0 (25-10, 25-16, 25-13) after honouring seniors Joshua Green, Kaj Wigston and David Duhan on a special night at the GGAC.
"We wanted to make it all about the seniors tonight," said head coach Cal Wigston.
The touching pre-match ceremony began with the lights dimmed and a video message from former Gryphon athlete and coach Larry Pearson, with each of the seniors receiving a jersey and plaque to recognize their time with the program.
But it was no ordinary Senior Night for the coach.
"I told myself I had to keep it together," Wigston said, referring to his son's recognition as a senior. "It was a special moment for me to be together with him and my wife (Sue). That was really cool." Cal, Kaj and Sue Wigston celebrate Senior Night
When the ceremony wrapped up, the Gryphons (7-8) were ruthless. Wigston said there was the danger of a slip up against the winless Excalibur but the focus was there. Guelph had nine kills and just two errors in a quick opening set, then used a 5-0 run to pull away from Trent in the second, with the seniors and reserves making an impact, including a Duhan kill on set point.
There was no doubt about the result after the Gryphons opened up the third set 8-0, finishing the match off shortly thereafter.
Matthew Baxter led Guelph with 12 kills, while Green added 9, along with team-highs in digs (6) and blocks (2).
"We took away a lot of what they were trying to do," said Wigston. "We had set some specific goals and met a lot of them."
The coach had plenty of praise for the seniors, all of whom were sharp on their special night.
"Josh is one of the hardest working Gryphon athletes we have ever seen," Wigston said of the fifth-year Bachelor of Commerce, Real Estate student from Georgetown, ON. "Since day one, he did whatever he could to improve his game, never missing an individual workout and never missing a practice. In his role as captain, he strives to make those around him better, while setting a good example on how to be a great student athlete."
Wigston said that Duhan's zest for life and positive attitude have been infectious in his relatively short time with the Gryphons. The Rural Planning and Development student has worked hard – and it has been noticed. Guelph on the attack against the Excalibur
"In only his second year as a varsity volleyball player, Dave has been not just a great player, he has been an incredible teammate," the coach said of the guy they call 'DAD.' "Dave has been a mentor to the guys on the team, all while balancing his masters program."
While Senior Night is always difficult, Wigston couldn't be blamed for the extra emotion honouring his son, a fourth-year Psychology major. He said that it has been an interesting relationship, which is very much coach/athlete in then gym, and father/son outside of it.
"Over the past four years Kaj has been called upon to play several roles and has done a great job in mastering those responsibilities," the elder Wigston said. "Off the court Kaj, has been responsible for setting up Gryphon Volleyball activities, including an initiative to help schools receive funds to buy new gym equipment. His dedication to Gryphon Volleyball has been fantastic."
Wigston called all three "critical pieces" to the program.
"Larry said it in his speech," he noted. "Each of them brought so many different things to the game."
Source: gryphons.ca
February 11, 2018
Brock 0 Nipissing 3
After an excellent effort Saturday, but coming out on the wrong end of the decision, the Nipissing Lakers men's volleyball bounced back in a big way.
The Lakers swept the Brock Badgers in straight sets Sunday afternoon, capping off the weekend and improving to 7-8, good for sole possession of third place in the East Division.
Nipissing got off to a very strong start and headed to the technical timeout up by nine points and in control of the set.
They wrapped things up and cruised to a 25-12 win.
The second set took a turn as Brock picked up their game and gained some momentum of their own.
Brock had a slight lead at the technical timeout, up by three.
The score was tied 24-24 late in the set after both teams traded points and it was a late push by Nipissing that decided the set and put the Lakers in the driver's seat.
The momentum of the Lakers carried them into a strong third set, holding a large lead for the majority of the game. The Badgers tested things out and pushed back with a point streak late in the set, but the Lakers were undeterred.
Nipissing took the match 3-0, winning the last set 25-21.
Cam Branch led the way with 17 points, Curtis MacPherson had 12.5 and Warren Taylor added 10.5 in Sunday's victory.
Source: nulakers.ca
Trent 0 Waterloo 3
It was Senior's Day for the men's volleyball team as five of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of their program took to the PAC floor for the final time in their careers.
Waterloo walked away with a straight set win over Trent, and with the win moved back to the .500 mark at 7-7 and sit in the fourth and final playoff spot in the OUA west.
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Leading the way was senior Aidan Simone (London/) who went out with a bang in his final home contest with 13 kills, three service aces, three digs, and one block. Another senior, Braden Cok (Waterloo/) was next best with five kills while Trevor Coathup (Ottawa/) had four.
Jordan McConkey (Stratford/) put away one kill while Philippe Piche (Ottawa/) rounded out a strong senior day performance with four digs.
Setting up the seniors was rookie setter Colm Guyn (Lethbridge/) who finished with 19 assists in the win.
Source: athletics.uwaterloo.ca
Western 2 Windsor 3
WINDSOR, Ont – The Mustangs lost their first match since November 12, as the Windsor Lancers upended the thriving Mustangs in five sets (17-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 17-19) Sunday afternoon at the St. Denis Centre.
The loss ends the Mustangs nine game winning streak and moves Western to 11-3 on the season to sit second in OUA West standings, just below McMaster. The win has the Lancers just behind the Mustangs in third with a 10-5 record.
Evan Cranshaw and Zeid Hamadeh topped the scoresheet for the Mustangs recording 22 and 19.5 points, respectively. Cranshaw's 22 points came off 18 kills, three solo blocks and one assisted block, while Hamadeh's came from 17 kills, one solo block, and one assisted block.
Pierce Johnson and Brad Gyemi proved to be Windsor's greatest assets throughout the match, recording 26 and 19.5 points respectively. Johnson's 26 points would come from 24 kills and 2 solo blocks throughout the five sets, while Gyemi's came from 14 kills, one service ace, one solo block and seven assisted blocks.
Brady Fidler, Sean Boyne, Gianfranco Sartor, and Matt Statsiuk on the Mustangs second string each made an appearance on the court, as Sartor was able to see most of the third set, proving himself to be strong offensively.
The first set would go to Windsor as they established an early lead, up 16-8 at the technical time out. Unfortunately for the Mustangs the deficit continued to grow, eventually hitting nine points at 20-11. Despite Western coming strong after a timeout and getting six unanswered points, the Lancers would take the first set 25-17.
The second set would go in the Mustangs favour, with Chris Newcombe taking control of the purple and white offensive game. Evan Hammond also would prove to be an important asset the second, to round the set out 25-19.
The Lancers looked very strong defensively in the third set, putting up some huge blocks coming and making it difficult for Western to get on the board.
A service error and on court communication errors for the Mustangs would allow Windsor the 24-20 lead, and although Cranshaw had a big kill to bring the Mustangs to 21, they couldn't hold off a Lancers victory. Windsor took the third set 25-21.
The fourth set proved to be the most exciting set of the match, with Bryn Ramsay making a statement on the floor and earning some big kills to get points on the board for the Mustangs.
At the technical timeout in the fourth, Western was up 16-13. The Mustangs defensive game in the fourth prevailed with a big help from Cranshaw and Hammond stepping up to make some big blocks.
As Windsor closed in on the purple and white lead, Newcombe exploded offensively to keep Western's edge on the scoreboard.
After a timeout late in the fourth, both teams applied the pressure as they were all over the court.
Western showed an all-out team performance at the end of the fourth, and with a kill from Hammond followed by an assisted block by Hammond and Ramsay, the Mustangs would take the fourth 25-23, sending it to a fifth and final.
The fifth and final set would prove to be a back and forth battle between both teams, as the set stayed within a point of one another. Hammond making some strong defensive plays, getting the important blocks, as Ramsay and Matt Hooker would make a couple of great digs.
Windsor would end up taking the fifth set as well, capitalizing on Mustangs errors.
Western fought back and forced the set into extra points, but the Lancers eventually prevailed with a score of 19-17 to end the match.
Source: golancers.ca
RMC 0 Queen’s 3
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 11, 2018) – The Queen's Gaels (7-8) took a big win in a three set game against the RMC Paladins (2-13) on Sunday afternoon at the Queen's ARC. The scores of each set were 25-13, 25-13 and 25-21 respectfully.
GAME FLOW
Markus Trence (Hockley Valley, Ont.), Zac Hutchinson (Kingston, Ont.) and Malcolm Prentice (Oakville, Ont.) got right down to business in the first set of the game leading the Gaels on a 8-2 point streak early on. Trence came through with a cross court kill to the right corner which fueled the momentum of the Tricolour offence. He continued to show his offensive and defensive talents, successfully making kills off of defensive blocks and cross court hits. Coming off a time out, the Gaels found their offensive groove on serves from Mitchell Neuert (Toronto) and Hutchinson. The Gaels took a huge lead over the Paladins and never gave RMC an opportunity to catch them. Queen's took the first set with a score of 25-13 off of a net violation made by RMC.
In the second set of the game, the Gaels found another early lead with kills from Trence. A kill to central court from Hutchinson after a timeout maintained the Gaels offensive intensity and kept Queen's in the lead. Trence took an ace on the RMC defence this set and Chris Seyffert (Calgary) put a tip between the RMC block, contributing to the Queen's lead. First year student Andrew Borschneck (Kingston, Ont.) made a cross court kill on the Paladins and immediately found a tip over the RMC block for the Gaels. The Gaels ended the set on a kill from Prentice that could not be returned by the Paladins defence. The score of the second set was 25-13.
The Gales got off to another quick start, taking a lead over the Paladins off kills by Seyffert, Trence and Prentice. Hutchinson and Seyffert made a strong defensive block on the left side, resulting in a point for the Gaels and keeping Queen's in possession of the lead. A kill down the right line from Trence extended the Tricolour's lead. The Paladins could not defend Trence's hits and the Gaels took a six-point lead over RMC with a score of 16-10. Prentice found a kill in the third set and Hutchinson made a powerful cross court kill to the back right court. The Gaels ended the third set on a strong kill from Borschneck and a score of 25-21.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
McMaster 3 York 1
For a second consecutive day, the Marauders men's volleyball team found themselves in tough against a motivated opponent in a foreign gym.
Digging deep and relying on their offensive leaders to carry the burden, McMaster came through a four-set (25-17, 16-25, 28-26, 25-22) victory over the York Lions to extend their OUA winning streak to 13 matches Sunday.
The U SPORTS eighth-ranked Marauders were put to the test, in a match which saw the two teams earn identical totals of 66 points.
Ultimately, it was McMaster's opportunism under pressure that saw them through, exemplified in the decisive fourth set, when the Marauders reeled off six consecutive points while trailing 22-19 to snatch the set, and the match, from the Lions.
Once again, the attacking threesome of Andrew Richards (London, ON), Brandon Koppers (Georgetown, ON) and Matt Passalent (Hamilton, ON) led the way for McMaster, with Richards posting a match high tally of 17 points that included 11 kills, an ace and five blocks.
The third-year opposite Passalent knocked down a match high of 15 kills, while Koppers answered with 13 of his own.
There was little separating the two teams on the afternoon, with each accounting for 13 blocks and York hitting 48 kills and 27 errors to McMaster's 47 and 26 respectively.
Where the Marauders were able to create some separation was the service line, where their -5 differential (six aces and 11 errors) bested the Lions -8 (five aces and 13 errors).
Source: marauders.ca