OUA Men's Volleyball Roundup (Nov. 20)
November 17, 2017
Windsor 1 Western 3
LONDON, Ont. – An 18-point performance from Bryn Ramsay helped lead the Western Mustangs to a four set (25-17, 20-25, 25-18, 25-20) win over the Windsor Lancers on Friday night at Alumni Hall.
"We came out strong, I was pleased with the first set, but we struggled a little in the second set," said Mustangs head coach Jim Sage. "We bounced back in the third, we started to dictate play a little bit and control the match."
Both teams are now 3-2 on the season, and sit in a four-way tie for second place in the OUA West Division standings.
Ramsay topped the Mustangs scoresheet with 18 total points, while also racking up 22 digs. Zeid Hamadeh also contributed to the offensive output with 15 points, while captain Matt Hooker registerd 51 assists, making smart decisions on the floor to lead the Mustangs to victory.
Meanwhile, the Lancers relied on Pierce Johnson and Brad Gyemi to generate points, with each athlete contributing 16 across four sets.
"It was pretty steady the whole way thorough, Windsor was up and down a bit, but I think we probably stayed as close to neutral as possible," said Hamadeh. "Just thinking about the losses we've had, specifically to Windsor in our preseason twice, really motivated the guys to stay level headed and not get ahead of ourselves."
The Mustangs got off to a strong start, claiming the first set by a decisive score of 25-17. The Lancers struggled with attacking errors throughout the set, while the Mustangs recorded only three.
Western's attack was composed and ready to capitalize on Windsor's mistakes, allowing them to jump out to an early lead which they maintained throughout the set. The Mustangs attack was calculated and precise, striking with 82% accuracy.
The purple and white offensive effort was diverse, with Hooker spreading out attack opportunities to allow six different Mustangs to send the ball over the net.
Western was also sound defensively, responding to the Lancers attack with strong blocking, and making solid first contact.
Set two was more closely contested, with the teams exchanging points before the Lancers broke the pattern to jump into an early lead. The Mustangs responded by matching Windsor's score at 11-11, before falling back into the familiar pattern of trading points back and forth.
Despite the tight start, the Lancers would run away with the set to claim a 25-20 victory over Western.
Windsor exploited the strong purple and white blockers, deflecting the ball off of Mustang hands and out of bounds. The Mustangs attack centered mostly on Ramsay, who sent the ball over the net 14 times throughout the set.
Both teams played strong defensive games, but issues with the purple and white serve prevented the Mustangs score from surpassing that of the Lancers.
Windsor maintained their momentum moving into the third set, taking a 6-3 lead early on.
The Mustangs slowed down the Lancers, creeping back into the set to tie the Lancers at 9. The purple and white took the lead at the technical timeout, before exploding in the second half of the set for another decisive 25-18 win.
Western's serving continued to struggle, with the team notching seven service errors throughout the set.
The purple and white blockers managed to adjust to the Windsor attack strategy, adding four blocks throughout the set, and boasting several more that resulted in continuous play.
"I thought we blocked okay, especially as the match went on," said Sage. "We need to be a little more dominant in that position earlier on in sets, but if we're getting digs off of roll shots because our block is there, then that's important."
The offensive game plan once against showcased the depth of the Mustangs, as Hooker prevented the attempts from being predictable by utilizing the strengths of Hamadeh, Evan Cranshaw, and Ramsay.
"I thought Matt [Hooker] was excellent," said Sage when asked about the performance of the four-year veteran. "I thought he took advantage of what they were giving us, and spread the offence out and gave everyone a chance to contribute and it kept them off balance."
The fourth and final set of the evening saw the two teams continue to wrestle for momentum, with neither being able to establish a substantial lead.
The Lancers once again struggled with errors, with a lack of communication between athletes resulting in a handful of unearned points that went towards the Mustang total.
In addition to collecting points from the mistakes of Windsor, the Mustangs were dominant in their own right. Hooker led the team to victory through careful play calling that exploited weak spots in the Lancer game while also showcasing purple and white strengths that would allow the team to capture a 25-20 victory to take the match.
Source: westernmustangs.ca
Guelph 0 York 3
The York University Lions men's volleyball team returned to its winning ways on Friday night with a straight sets victory over the visiting Guelph Gryphons at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
The first set was a close affair in which neither team was able to take a lead bigger than three points. After the Lions led 16-14 at the technical timeout, the Gryphons rallied late in the set to take a late lead at 23-22. But a pair of Guelph errors and a service ace by Andrew Shotbolt pushed the Lions to 25 points and they took the first set 25-23.
The Lions never trailed in the second set. The two teams traded points back and forth to 5-5 before the Lions started to pull ahead, ultimately leading 16-9 at the technical timeout and stretching the lead to 10 points at 21-11 late in the set. The Gryphons won a string of points after that but it was too late and the Lions held on to take the set 25-17.
The third set saw the Gryphons lead early and through the first 15 points of the match, when they were up 8-7. But the Lions went on to win the next four points to go up 11-8 and they did not look back from there. Toure Nwakwesi fired the final kill of the match and the Lions won in straight sets with the 25-20 victory.
Nwakwesi finished as the team's leading scorer with 12 points on 10 kills and two service aces. Logan Mend was all over the stats sheet himself. The starting setter tallied a game-high 29 assists and also added 8.5 points and a match-high eight digs.
Guelph's leading scorer was Kendrick Kerr with 6.5 points on two kills, 3.5 blocks and one service ace.
The Lions improved to 4-1 with the win and remain in second place in the OUA East, while the Gryphons dropped to 3-4 and currently sit fourth in the West Division.
Source: yorkulions.ca
Ryerson 3 Toronto 0
TORONTO - If the Ryerson Rams needed a spark for the season, a dive into the game control desk by Lucas Coleman (Brooklin, Ont.) may have been just what the doctor ordered.
The Rams made a quick drive over to the University of Toronto to face off against the U of T Varsity Blues, claiming a 3-0 victory at Goldring Centre on Friday night. The win marks the Rams’ fifth victory in five games to mark an undefeated start to the season. Couple that with two consecutive 3-0 sweeps and nine sets without a loss, and the Rams are on a roll.
Leading much of the first set and taking it 25-20, the Rams were challenged hard by the Varsity Blues in the following sets.
Brendan Kewin (Milton, Ont.) and Adam Anagnostopoulos (Waterloo, Ont.) were back in the driver’s seat this game after limited use against the Trent Excalibur, and helped the Rams through some deficits to come out on top. Having the key core of the team back on the court helped, but coach Adam Simac still believes there is some danger in the Rams’ opening record.
“While we’re winning, it’s kind of a safety blanket right now,” Simac said. “I’m not comfortable with that, I want to do more than enough and have a lot left over at the end.”
There are some great examples of the team’s winning spirit on the court. Lucas Coleman chased a ball with a leap into the game control desk on the sidelines in the third set, keeping the ball in play but landing heavily on the desk. Plays like this set the bar for the rest of the team to Simac.
“That’s great because it shows the heart of this team,” he said of Coleman’s diving play. “I’ve been preaching to these guys all along: ‘show your pride, show your passion, show the courage that you have, show how proud you are to represent Ryerson’. It’s plays like that which make me proud to be coaching this team.”
A few newer faces circled through the lineup once again, with freshmen Navreet Suhan (Mississauga, Ont.) and Jackson Dunning (Ottawa, Ont.) both seeing significant playing time alongside their more experienced counterparts. Former University of New Brunswick OH Simon Davis-Power (Conception Bay South, Nfld.) has been making his mark in his first season in the OUA, putting up a performance that sees him match the offensive output of the Rams’ veterans. Even with these new players fitting well into the system, there is always room to improve.
“There’s a few things we have to work on this coming week, just as a bit of a reminder for some of these guys,” Simac said. “Just a couple tweaks. Tighten some bolts, make sure the tires are properly inflated, make sure there’s enough gas in the tank.”
Source: ryersonrams.ca
Waterloo 3 Nipissing 1
The Warriors men's volleyball team split their final two road games of the 2017, defeating the Nipissing Lakers 3-1 before dropping another five set marathon, this time to the York Lions.
On Friday, Waterloo won their third match of the season taking out the Lakers in four sets. It was a tight battle but Waterloo prevailed taking the fourth and final set 25-21.
Aidan Simone (London/) and Kevin LeBreux (Cumberland/) led the way with 15 points each. Simone put away 10 kills while having a strong night at the service line with four aces. Defensively he was also on his game with a game high 10 digs. LeBreux had nine kills and topped Simone's aces by one with five in the match.
Braden Cok (Waterloo/) and Jordan McConkey (Stratford/) rounded out Waterloo's attack, each with seven kills.
Setting up the Warriors was rookie Colm Guyn who finished with 28 assists.
Source: athletics.uwaterloo.ca
November 18, 2017
Queen’s 3 RMC 1
KINGSTON, Ont. (November 18, 2017) – The Queen's Gaels (4-1) take the win in a great battle against the RMC Paladins (1-5) with a score of 3-1. The scores of each set were 18-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19 respectively.
GAME FLOW
In the first set, the Tricolour started out strong but were quickly shut down with 13 kills made by the Paladins. The Gaels struggled to maintain control of the set and racked up six errors. Kills by Markus Trence (Hockley Valley, Ont.) and Mitchell Neuert (Toronto) brought their score up to 18 but the Gaels were unable to pull of the win. The Paladins ended the set with a score of 25-18 making the match 1-0 for RMC.
The second set brought more intensity to the Gaels as they began to make their quick come back. The Tricolour took 12 kills this set with only four errors, keeping the Paladins from catching their lead. The Gaels took the set 25-19 and tied the match at 1-1.
The third set was the strongest for the Gaels, with 16 kills and two errors. Queen's took a big lead and the Paladins were unable to find the gaps in Queen's rock solid defence. Digs by Zane Grossinger (Richmond Hill, Ont.) helped the Gaels lengthen their lead and they took the set with a score of 25-19. Queen's took the lead in the match with 2 sets to 1.
The fourth and final set of the match held 12 kills for the Tricolour with only two errors. The Gaels held the Paladins to 19 points again and took the set with a score of 25-19 and winning the match with a score of 3-1.
Source: gogaelsgo.com
Guelph 3 Nipissing 2
NORTH BAY, Ont. - In a rematch of last season's OUA Quarter-final matchup, the Gryphons men's volleyball team outlasted the Nipissing Lakers in five-sets on Saturday night in North Bay. Set scores were 25-19, 19-25, 18-25, 25-23 & 15-11. With the result, the Gryphons improve to 4-4 while Nipissing falls to 2-4.
Second year left side Oliver Hissink led the Gryphons with 14 kills and 15.5 points. After winning the opening set, the Gryphons would drop the 2nd and 3rd sets before rebounding in the 4th set with a tight 25-23 win. In the fifth and final set, the Gryphons would win 15-11 to secure the two points on the road.
Source: gryphons.ca
Waterloo 2 York 3
The York University Lions men's volleyball team let a two-set lead slip away but came away with a five-set victory over the Waterloo Warriors at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Saturday night.
The Lions and Warriors looked evenly matched at the beginning of the first set. There was no clear leader, and both sides made spectacular offensive and defensive plays. However, the Lions began to pull away just before the technical timeout, where the score was 16-13, and this lead continued to grow. The Lions claimed the first set 25-19 and led the match 1-0.
The Lions took the lead earlier in the second set, and after the technical timeout it was clear the Warriors were not going to be able to catch them. This set ended with exactly the same score as the first, 25-19, and the Lions increased their lead in the match to 2-0.
Unfortunately for the Lions, the tables turned in the third set, when the Warriors were able to overtake the Lions 16-13 by the technical timeout. In shockingly similar fashion to the Lions' earlier plays, the Warriors continued to speed ahead and won the set, bringing the match score to 2-1. 25-19 seemed to be the magic numbers for the scoreboard tonight, as the third set also ended with this score.
The Warriors raced ahead to an early lead in the fourth set, with a six-point advantage before the Lions put up their first point. This lead stayed strong, and the Warriors led 16-10 at the technical time out. The Lions were unable to break the lead established by the Warriors and the set ended with the same 25-19 score as the others.
The fifth was eventful and high in energy as both teams put their best foot forward to win the crucial set. At the half, the Lions had asserted a four-point lead and they continued to race ahead while the Warriors failed to handle what the Lions sent their way. The Lions walked out of the set with a huge 15-8 win to take the match.
Leading the Lions in scoring was Andrew Tauhid with 22.5 points, consisting of 20 kills, two solo blocks and one assisted block. Behind him was Andrew Shotbolt with 14.5 points (11 kills, three service aces and one assisted block). Shotbolt and Jules Muhawe led the team in digs with seven each.
Aidan Simone led the points for the Warriors with 15 (nine kills, one service ace, four solo blocks and one assisted block). He was followed closely by teammate Braden Cok with 14.5 points (12 kills, one service ace, one solo block and one assisted block).
The Lions now have a 5-1 season record, and the Warriors drop to 3-5.
Source: yorkulions.ca
November 19, 2017
McMaster 3 Brock 0
Gaining momentum as their match rolled on, the Marauders cruised to a fifth consecutive OUA win in St. Catharines Sunday.
McMaster enjoyed an efficient offensive performance, keyed by a 39-assist effort from setter David Doty, in sweeping Brock 26-24, 25-18 and 25-10 at Bob Davis Gym.
The win improved the 10th-ranked Marauders to 5-1 on the season, keeping them firmly in control of top spot in the OUA West division.
Hitting 42 per cent as a team, McMaster saw three players enter double digits in points Sunday, including Brandon Koppers (17), Matt Passalent (15.5) and Andrew Richards (11).
Koppers led all players with 12 kills in the win, converting at a 39 per cent clip while adding three aces, one solo block and two block assists.
The Marauders cleaned up their game progressively as the match progressed, moving from 38 per cent hitting as a unit in the first set to a blistering rate of 64 per cent in the third, with 11 kills versus just two errors on 14 attempts.
Source: marauders.ca
Toronto 3 Trent 2
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's volleyball team overcame a two-set deficit to defeat the Trent Excalibur 3-2 (20-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-18, 15-13) on Sunday night (Nov. 19) in Peterborough, Ont.
With the victory, the Blues improve to 2-2 in the early goings of the OUA regular season.
Third-year left side hitter Ken Dobson and sophomore outside hitter Nicholas Trewern both led Toronto with 13 points apiece. Trewern tallied a game-high 12 kills, adding one ace and eight digs, while Dobson notched 11 kills, one ace, one block and nine digs on the night.
Sophomore setter Jordan Figueira tallied 33 assists, while adding 8.5 points on six kills, two aces and an assisted block, and a team-high 12 digs in the victory.
Source: varsityblues.ca
