OUA Men's Volleyball Roundup (Nov. 27)
November 24, 2017
Queen’s 2 Western 3
LONDON, Ont. – The Mustangs rallied for a big comeback victory in five sets (25-19, 18-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13) over a strong Queen's Gaels team at Alumni Hall Friday night.
After falling behind 2-1 in sets, the Western men regrouped and fought their way back for an impressive come-from-behind win to improve their regular season record to 4-2, good for a tie for second spot in the OUA's West Division with the Windsor Lancers (the McMaster Marauders, at 6-1, currently hold down the top spot). The Gaels, also 4-2, are now in third place in the East Division.
"It was a huge win for us," said Matt Hooker, Western's fourth-year setter. "They have a few studs on that team. We've had some battles in the past few years with [Queen's], so it feels good to get some revenge, but it's even bigger for this year in the standings. That's what's most important to us."
Pulling out a win was far from a sure thing for the Mustangs Friday night, as they not only trailed in sets, 2-1, but were knotted at 21-21 in the fourth set.
"I think our block kind of fell behind and they scored a little bit more at will," said Hooker, referring to the second and third sets. "And we started making some uncharacteristic errors. But once we got back to blocking, and playing defense, and being smart in transition offense, we took the fourth and fifth sets."
Indeed, the Mustangs fought tooth and nail to earn a 25-21 win in the fourth set to push the match to a deciding fifth set, where they came away 15-13 winners.
After the Gaels' top scorer, Markus Trence, tied the score at 21 in the fourth, the Western men rattled off four consecutive points to send it to a fifth set. Back-to-back kills by Bryn Ramsay and Evan Cranshaw were followed by a service ace by Lukas Kaufman to make it 24-21. A Trence error on an attack gave the Mustangs the set win.
Western played perhaps its cleanest set in the fifth, committing just one error in the frame. Cranshaw really stepped up late in the match, recording three kills in the final moments. Tied 11-11, he recorded back-to-back kills to put the Mustangs up 13-11. Another Cranshaw kill made it 14-12 before Chris Newcombe ended the match with a kill of his own.
It may have been a stressful win, but it was surely a character-building one as well. Josh Cohen, a member of the Mustangs' training staff, seems to agree.
"I think we lost a little bit of our composure over the course of the game, but I think Jim (Sage, head coach) got everyone back into gear, and we showed them who we are," Cohen said. "We just have to stay composed in those tight battles. I think we kind of lost a lot of focus, but once we got it back we took the game to our advantage.
"I think we've come a long way from the beginning of the season … from preseason and the tournaments until now. The guys are communicating a lot better, and there's a lot better team play, for sure. And it's really showing in the games."
Ramsay led Western's offensive attack with 24.5 points, including 23 kills on the night. Cranshaw had 15.0 points in the match (with 14 kills), while Newcombe had 13.0 points (10 kills) and Zeid Hamadeh had 12.5 points, with eight kills and three service aces. Evan Hammond was big on defense, recording six assisted blocks.
Trence was the top scorer for Queen's, tallying 20.5 points, including 17 kills. Jack Peckham (13.5 points), Joel Rudd (12.5 points), and Mitchell Neuert (12.5 points) each had 10 kills apiece. Rudd and Malcolm Prentice had a pair of service aces each, while Peckham recorded two solo and three assisted blocks.
"I think we're starting to figure out our identity and what we need to do to succeed," said Hooker. I think we're a scrappy team. We play well as a team, we have a great team dynamic, we have a good team culture. So, we win as a group, and I think that's why we're going to be successful in the end."
Source: westernmustangs.ca
Ryerson 3 Guelph 1
GUELPH, Ont. - Lucas Coleman (Brooklin, Ont.) made the most of his experience and discipline to lead the Ryerson Rams to a 3-1 victory over the Guelph Gryphons at the Guelph Gryphon Athletic Centre on Friday night.
The victory marks the sixth consecutive win for the Rams to kick off the season, leaving them as the only undefeated team in the OUA. While the McMaster Marauders also hold a six-game winning streak, they also faced a loss in their season opener to the Rams.
While the victory marks a major milestone for the Rams’ season, the game-opening set loss ended their streak of set wins at nine. The Gryphons came out strong with Oliver Hissink (Leaskdale, Ont.) scoring early and forcing the Rams into errors for an early Guelph advantage.
While the Gryphons took the first set by a 25-18 margin, the Rams would turn it around in the second to win by the same score. Coleman, along with fellow fifth-year seniors Adam Anagnostopoulos (Waterloo, Ont.) and Brendan Kewin (Milton, Ont.) began to ramp up the defensive play and force errors to close out the final sets.
Kewin would lead the game in scoring with 19 points and 16 kills, while Coleman would nearly match Kewin’s offensive output, also putting up 12 digs. Joining the experienced core on the starting lineup were newer faces Simon Davis-Power (Conception Bay South, Nfld.) and Navreet Suhan (Mississauga, Ont.) who have worked their way into the Rams’ regular rotation throughout the past several games.
Source: ryersonrams.ca
RMC 1 Windsor 3
The Windsor Lancers men's volleyball team came out strong in front of the home crowd on Friday night, defeating the RMC Paladins in four sets 3-1 (25-12, 27-29, 27-25 and 25-11).
GAME FLOW
The first set was all Blue and Gold as the Lancers and Pierce Johnson built up a large lead over the Paladins who were unable to overcome the deficit and dropped the first set 25-12.
The second set was much more hotly contested with both teams getting set point opportunities. Adam Child shut such an opportunity down for the Paladins with a clutch block late in the second set. Unfortunately for the Lancers they would fall in the second set 27-29.
In the third set the Lancers came out strong before the Paladins pushed back. Neither team could capitalize on their set points let in the set either until Roland Bouchard served up a great ace to give the Lancers the third set, 27-25.
In the fourth set the Lancers returned to their first set form and building a lead over the Paladins. In the end, the Lancers were clearly the better side of a great contest taking the fourth set and the match, 25-11.
Source: golancers.ca
Toronto 0 McMaster 3
In system, and in rhythm, early and often Friday, the Marauders brought out the big guns in an impressive display to cap their Fall schedule.
McMaster blasted Toronto in three lopsided sets (25-13, 25-16, 25-10) at Burridge Gym to improve to 6-1 atop the OUA West division at the conclusion of play ahead of the holiday break.
With setter David Doty (London, ON) playing puppet master en route to a whopping total of 38 assists, the trio of left sides Brandon Koppers (Georgetown, ON)and Andrew Richards (London, ON), and opposite Matthew Passalent (Hamilton, ON), carried the offensive load for Mac with 39 combined kills.
Koppers was the most ruthlessly efficient of the bunch, thumping down 17 of 23 hitting attempts versus just two errors (65 per cent), and adding a solo block for a match high of 18 points.
His partners in offence, Richards and Passalent had 10 and 12 kills respectively, with Richards contributing two aces, one solo block and two block assists for 14 points, while Passalent hit 59 per cent and had an ace and block assist.
Defensively, McMaster held Toronto to just four per cent hitting, as the Blues hit just 19 kills versus 16 errors.
Source: marauders.ca
November 25, 2017
Trent 0 Nipissing 3
It was a dominant effort by the Nipissing Lakers men's volleyball team Saturday afternoon to get back into the win column.
The Lakers took care of business against Trent, sweeping them in three sets to move to 3-4 on the season.
Pure power led the Lakers as the kills came fast and furious. Fans were anticipating a strong game for Nipissing after the first set ended quickly with a score of 25-13 as Nipissing got off to a strong start.
As the match continued, Trent fought back, managing to continually cut into the Nipissing lead. But the Lakers took off moving into the technical timeout of the set, leading 16-7.
Their lead would not fade as they closed out the set again at 25-13.
Going into the third set, Trent took off looking to get back into the match. They began leading 5-2. The game tied up at 5-5 before Nipissing took the lead yet again.
Trent refused to go away and the teams were even, 18-18.
Trent, however, couldn't match the Lakers as the set continued, while Nipissing pushed to close out the match in three.
The score read 25-22 and the match was done, giving Nipissing the victory.
The Lakers were led offensively by Cam Branch who had 13.5 points, Steve Wood had 10 and Liam Ludlow added 7.5 in the victory.
Source: nulakers.ca
Ryerson 0 Waterloo 3
We've seen it before and we're seeing it again, the men's volleyball team like to peek right around this time of year and the Warriors proved that again tonight with a huge straight set win over the No. 10 Ryerson Rams at the PAC.
Waterloo dominated play from start to finish owning the net with 16 blocks compared to just three for the Rams. Waterloo took the opening set 25-13 and kept their foot down on the petal for the final two sets winning them 25-21, 25-19.
Braden Cok (Waterloo/) was massive in the win with a game high 18 points on 17 kills and two assisted blocks.
Matthew Mawdsley (London/) had 10.5 points while leading all players in blocks with seven.
Aidan Simone (London/) and Jordan McConkey (Stratford/) rounded out the Warriors attack. Simone had 9.5 points on five kills and five blocks while McConkey had seven kills in the win including the game winning kill on match point. Simone also led the way defensively with six digs.
Setting up the Warriors was Colm Guyn (Lethbridge/) who had a solid night with 32 assists.
The win puts Waterloo at 4-5 into the Christmas break, good for a tie for third spot in the OUA west while Ryerson was handed their first loss of the season but remain in first in the east with a 6-1 record.
Source: athletics.uwaterloo.ca
Queen’s 2 Windsor 3
WINDSOR, Ont. (November 25 2017) – The Queen's Gaels fell 3 sets to 2 on the road against the Windsor Lancers. The scores of each set were 25-14, 21-25, 25-21, 26-28 and 15-13.
GAME FLOW
The first point of the game went to the Gaels after a strong kill by Malcolm Prentice (Oakville, Ont.) was sent on the Windsor defense. Unfortunately, the Gaels lost their momentum as the Lancers took a 6-point lead early in the set. The Gaels fought to catch the Windsor lead but the Lancers capitalized on the gaps in the Gaels defense and took the set with a score of 25-14. The Lancers took the lead in the match 1-0.
The second set showed even intensity between the Gaels and the Lancers until the 9th point of the set. The Tricolour showed their strengths with kills from Markus Trence (Hockley Valley, Ont.) and a serving ace by Joel Rudd(Cambridge, Ont.) putting the Gaels in the lead. Queen's held their lead and maintained a strong defensive game, keeping the Lancers trailing behind. The Gaels ended the set 25-21 with two kills by Mitchell Neuert (Toronto, Ont.). Queen's evened out the match with a score of 1-1.
The Gaels and Lancers played another even game, going point for point most of the set. It wasn't until the set was tied at 21-21 that the Lancers took the lead off two kills and three service errors made by Queens. The Lancers took the set with a score of 25-21 and made the match score 2-1.
The fourth set presented great team work by the Tricolour, playing an even match and surpassing the Lancers early in the set. The Gaels maintained their lead for most of the set until three consecutive errors put Windsor back in the game. With the score tied at 21-21, the Lancers took another point off a Queen's error, surpassing the Gaels. The set went point for point with Rudd, Trence and Neuert keeping Queen's in the game. A serving ace by Jack Peckham (Hamilton, Ont.) ended the set in favour of the Gaels 28-26 and tying the match 2-2.
The fifth and final set was another close game, with the Gaels trailing the Lancers by only one point. The Tricolour took the lead after two unrecoverable kills by Mitchell Neuert making the score 8-7. The Lancers and the Gaels went point for point again until Windsor took the lead and eventually won the final set with a score of 15-13. The final score of the match was 3-2 in favour of Windsor.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
RMC 0 Western 3
LONDON, Ont. – The Mustangs faced three tight sets (25-16, 25-23, 25-22) against the RMC Paladins, but pulled through with a victory at Alumni Hall on Saturday night.
"They never stop fighting, and they won't," said Mustangs head coach Jim Sage about RMC. "They don't care what the score is. They're military, so they're fighters. And boy we had to fight. Second set was ugly, and they could have easily—we were lucky to win that second set. I was almost planning that we were going to lose it. But we, I gotta give them credit, we fought back and snuck it out. And then I thought we'd dominate in the third, and then we didn't. It was back and forth until right at the end there, we were lucky enough to capitalize on a few of their errors."
The win makes Western second in the OUA West Division with a three game winning streak and a 5-2 record. RMC now sits at 1-7.
The Mustangs' offence was distributed across the board, and all team members contributed to the night's success. Evan Hammond and Zeid Hamadeh each tallied eight kills. Hammond led the team in points with ten even. One point behind was Chris Newcombe, who also recorded seven kills tonight.
RMC saw their players all marking points as well. Richard Bucar recorded eight kills and digs, including four kills in the last set. Dale Towe led the team offensively, tallying 15.5 points and 11 kills.
The Mustangs had a slow start in the first set of the night, with their first three points gained off of RMC mistakes.
"We had a little bit of a rough patch at the start," said Hammond. "Then coach kind of harped on us a bit, told us what we needed to do correctly and then I think we went out there and just did the little things right. It's just staying together and being one, so as long as we do that, we're doing good."
The game took a turn when Newcombe stepped up to serve six balls in a row, allowing Western to take the lead for the first time at 9-8, as they started to find their footing on the court. The Paladins would be unable to retake their early lead, and the first set ended by the largest margin of the night, 25-16.
RMC regained momentum in the second set, taking the lead after the first four points. They dominated the first half of play, forcing the Mustangs to slowly try and close the gap. The Mustangs managed to tie the score at 15-15, briefly taking the lead before the Paladins overcame them once again.
A powerful serve from Bryn Ramsay would allow Western to tie it up once again at 20-20. The play until the end of the set remained back and forth until the Mustangs broke the 23-23 tie.
Hamadeh was crucial to Western play in the second set, recording four kills and digs. The Mustangs stayed in the game amidst the tight set, and pulled through with the 25-23 win.
"I think we've really grown into a team that's able to stay composed under pressure," said Hamadeh. "That's exactly what we focused on today and every other game this season. So, I think we just try and relax more whenever there's a tight situation and hopefully good things happen."
The Paladins almost overtook the Mustangs in the third set. The teams were tied at 8-8, with the Mustangs forced to match RMC point for point until the Paladins extended the gap to 18-16.
"I think just going in to the second half, we need to get stronger, continue to play consistent," said Hammond about the team's performance. "We always come out strong but then tend to get off the gas pedal a little bit. But I think if we just can continue to play the way we know how and do little things right, we're going to continue to have success."
Strong offensive and defensive play saw the same back and forth action that was typical of the night. The Mustangs finally managed to extend the lead and end the final set with a 25-22 win.
"We have a really good exhibition schedule. Going to Winnipeg and playing some of the top teams in the country, then we're going to York, and have another tournament there before we're back on to league play," said Sage of how the team will stay in the game for January. "So, we're going to stay in shape, we're going to practice a little bit less but still keep sharp, and then be ready for the rest of the season."
Source: westernmustangs.ca
November 26, 2017
Toronto 3 Brock 0
Fifth-year middle Zia Karim notched a career-high 16 kills and 17.5 points in leading the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's volleyball team to a 3-0 victory (25-18, 27-25, 25-17) over the Brock Badgers on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 26) in St. Catharines, Ont.
With the win, the Blues head into the December exam break with a 3-3 record.
Karim added one ace and an assisted block to his game-high 16 kills on the day.
Sophomore left side hitter Nicholas Trewern recorded 13.5 points off of 12 kills and 1.5 blocks, while third-year left Ken Dobson had eight kills and 10 digs.
Veteran libero Alex Farris notched a game-high 15 digs, while second-year setter Jordan Figueira tallied 38 assists, nine digs and 5.5 points in the win.
Source: varsityblues.ca
Trent 0 York 3
The York University Lions men's volleyball team heads into the December break tied for the OUA East Division lead after Sunday's straight-sets victory over the Trent Excalibur at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
The Lions have now won three in a row and finished each set at least five points ahead of their opponents.
The Lions wasted no time reminding the Excalibur whose court they were on. The Lions had a massive 16-4 lead at the technical time out and they maintained this over-10 point lead through to the end of the set, finishing 25-13 and taking an early 1-0 lead in the match.
The Excalibur matched aggression with the Lions in the second set, and the Lions soon found themselves trailing. At the technical time out, they were behind 16-13. The Lions were able to turn things around in the second half of the set, however, and they finished five points ahead of the Excalibur at 25-20 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set began with a close battle, but the Lions began to pull ahead. They led 16-13 at the technical time out and, by the end of the final set, the Lions had a seven-point lead. The set concluded 25-18 and the Lions claimed the match 3-0.
Andrew Shotbolt racked up the most points for the Lions at 15, which consisted of nine kills and six service aces. The next top scorer for the Lions was Andriy Sozanskyy with 10 points on eight kills, one service ace and one solo block. Leading in digs for the Lions were Michael Sherbut and Tyler Covach with three each.
Leading the scoring for the Excalibur was Emmanuel Danso-Amofa with six points. Nicholas Taylor had four digs.
Source: yorkulions.ca