M-VOLLEYBALL ROUNDUP: McMaster downs Waterloo in the battle of unbeatens

November 16 - Toronto @ Ryerson

The Ryerson Rams moved their record to above .500 with a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday night. The Rams (4-3) now move into a tie for third place in the OUA standings.

The Rams came out firing in the first set and limited themselves to just three attack errors en route to ten kills. Everything seemed to going Ryerson's way as they rattled off seven straight points to open up a commanding 18-7 lead. The gap would grow to as many as 13 with the Rams holding a 22-9 advantage. Luka Milosevic (Toronto) posted a kill and a block to give Ryerson set point before the Blues sent their serve long to give the Rams a 25-13 set victory.

It was Toronto's turn to take the lead in the second as they led by as many as five at 15-10. A Stefan Ristic (Belgrade, Serbia) kill gave the Rams some momentum as they brought the score to within three at 16-13 at the technical timeout. Ryerson was able to tie the score at 17-17 and again at 22-22 but three straight points from Toronto guided them to a 25-22 win to tie the game at 1-1.

The second set seemed to wake up the Toronto offence as they came out and posted 16 kills in the third set alone. Ryerson could muster just nine kills of their own, but despite the difference, the teams matched each other point for point.

Following a Robert Wojcik (Whitby, Ont.) kill that brought the Rams to within one at 20-19, Toronto's Jake Dysselhof (Mississauga, Ont.) and Jay Tremonti (Dryden, Ont.) combined for four kills as the Blues went on a 5-0 run to close the set with a 25-19 win.

Both teams played efficient volleyball in the fourth as both squads posted their best offensive sets. Neither team could go on an extended run to build a lead and the game was tied 18 different times. Ryerson needed an extra point to get the victory and closed it in style with a Milosevic service ace to bring the final score to 26-24 and send the game to a fifth and deciding set.

Holding the momentum, Ryerson was able to score when they needed to down the stretch and gained an 11-8 advantage in the final set. Back-to-back kills from Toronto got the Blues back into it down 11-10 but they could not overcome the deficit as the Rams pulled out a 15-13 win to take the match 3-2.

Ryerson's Wojcik finished with a game-high 22 kills. Milosevic added nine kills and a game-high four blocks while Brian Batista Bettencourt (Azores, Portugal) had a game-high 12 digs in the victory.

Mitchell Woodside (Clyde River, PEI) led the Blues with 20 kills on the night while Dysselhof added 14 in the loss. Jonathan Adomait (Dundas, Ont.) finished with a team-high 11 digs.

As a team the Rams posted eight service aces in the match, tying a season high, and assistant coach Lukas Porosa was pleased with the effort.

"We had been working all week on serving and towards the end tonight nobody let up, everyone stuck with their strong serve. They're a really good passing team and we had to put pressure on them. We knew we had to take risks with our serve to keep them off the net."

Ryerson has a tough schedule ahead as they play five straight on the road which takes the team right until the end of January before they return to Coca-Cola Court.

"We're kind of untested on the road", said Porosa, speaking to how the Rams have only played two road games. "We play better at home - we're used to it. But after these last two wins we have some confidence and to get one or two games on the road coming up will boost us even more."

Source: Ryerson Sports Info


Guelph @ McMaster

The McMaster men’s volleyball team hosted the Guelph Gryphons on Friday evening, and was able to remain unbeaten in OUA conference play.

The Marauders have always had a healthy dose of respect for the Guelph program, and the Gryphons came out like they planned to end the Mac winning streak.  Jumping out to an early 13-10 lead, Guelph was playing with confidence and showed no hint of intimidation at playing the nation’s number-three ranked team.

Then rookie outside hitter Jayson McCarthy got into a serving groove and scored seven straight points, including two aces, to give McMaster the lead at 17-13 and the momentum.  Guelph tried to come back, but the Marauders were able to close out the set at 25-22.

The second set saw the Marauders take the early lead and carry it through the set, winning 25-19.

Now down two sets, the wind seemed to go out of the Guelph sails and the Marauders seized on the opportunity to jump on their opponent opening up a 7-2 lead and never really letting Guelph get close, winning out 25-16 to sweep the match.

McCarthy was named the McDonald’s Big Mac player of the game for McMaster, as he had a strong overall match, and swung the momentum in the key opening set toward his team.  The Marauders also got excellent work from middle Tyson Alexander,  libero Dan Groenveld, and setter Austin Campion-Smith.

Source: McMaster Sports Info


November 17 - Western @ RMC

The Western Mustangs men’s volleyball team challenged the Royal Military College Paladins earlier this afternoon at the Kingston Military Sports Community Centre in Kingston, Ontario and dominated the match start to finish. The Mustangs topped RMC in three straight sets 3-0, showing the Paladins what a battle really is, and sent RMC back to boot camp.

Set scores were 25-14, 25-12, 25-21.

Rookie Justin Scapinello and teammate, former All-Star rookie Garrett May led the royal battle, both with team high scores of 11.5, contributing to Western’s 46 point lead over RMC’s 28. Scapinello gained nine kills on 12 attempts, while May earned nine kills on 18 attempts while committing only one error.

Thomas McMullen of the RMC Paladins led his army with a game high of 13.5 points, nine kills on 18 attempts while only committing two errors, along with four blocks.

After a long trip on the road, the Mustangs stepped onto the court with no sign of fatigue and immediately earned a stream of points through 12 kills on 17 attempts, trumping the Paladins kill percentage by almost double. The Stangs' 58.8% accuracy was strong enough to RMC's 33.3% to bring the Mustangs to an easy win of 25-14.

Using some of the fresh roster, the Mustangs showed a great amount of potential in the younger players this afternoon, where new court faces showed their talents by taking the Paladins in the quickest set of the match, leading by 13 points. Chris Lam, Dominic Kucharski and Douglas Austrom dominated the court allowing Western to take the set 25-12.

The Mustangs finished the day rapidly in three sets, making the skirmish as painless as possible for the Paladins. The third set was the game’s longest where RMC only fell short four points to Western’s 25 point lead.

Source: Western Sports Info


Waterloo @ York

The York University Lions men's volleyball team was in action this Saturday (Nov. 17), doing battle against the powerful Waterloo Warriors at the Tait McKenzie Centre, posting a 3-sets-to-1 loss despite a strong overall team effort.

The Waterloo Warriors came into the game undefeated this season, boasting a 5-0 record, good enough for second in the OUA and a national ranking of tenth in the CIS. By contrast, the Lions 2-3 record this season is enough for a competitive sixth place ranking in the OUA.

After dropping the first set 25-20 despite a strong early start, the Lions rebounded with a crushing 25-13 second set victory, including a ten-point Lions' scoring streak off the serves of Ray Szeto (Sutton, Ont.)

The third set proved to be the critical one in the match, being both the hardest fought and the closest in score. After many lead changes and going into extra points, the Lions dropped the set by a final score of 28-26.

The fourth set saw the Warriors best play of the game, earning the victory 25-19 despite strong Lions' defense, and closing out the match.

Szeto led the lions in kills for the match with 17, followed closely by Karim Khalil (Mississauga, Ont.), who had 15, and led the Lions in total points with 18. Szeto also scored the most digs for the Lions, notching up 11.

The Warriors' outside hitter Zachary Doherty (Goderich, Ont.) led the game in both kills and points, scoring 18 kills on his way to a 19.5-point performance. Fiodar Kazhamiaka (Waterloo, Ont.) added 13 kills for the Warriors, and Erich Woolley (New Dundee, Ont.) posted 11 digs to lead his team on defense.

Source: York Sports Info


Windsor @ Queen's

The Queens Gaels men's volleyball team (6-2) compiled a solid effort in their match against the Windsor Lancers (1-4), winning in five sets, 3-2 (25-15, 22-25, 26-24, 23-25, 15-10) in OUA play at the ARC Main Gym, Saturday.

The Gaels made short work of the Lancers in the first set, utilizing well-placed offensive attacks and three timely blocks. After a Jackson Dakin (Courtenay, B.C.) ace, the Gaels had the 16-12 lead going into the technical timeout. Middle Tyler Scheerhoorn's second ace of the set, followed by a roll shot by Mike Tomlinson (Stratford, Ont.) to close out the first set in the Gaels favour. Tomlinson finished the match with a game-high 24 kills.

Despite a strong effort, the Gaels could not find an answer for the Lancers' confusing offensive attack in the second set; Queen's also committed eight errors in the set to give Windsor the opportunity to capitalize. Neither team let up in the third set, with both teams combining for a set total of 31 kills—the highest total of any set. The Gaels were able to edge the Lancers in the third, closing things out with a commanding block upfront. The fourth set was a defensive struggle, with Windsor only recording nine kills, and Queen's 11. It was the Windsor defense that won the set for the Lancers recording three of their total nine blocks in the fourth.

The Tricolour fell behind early in the final set, but solid defensive play from libero Jacob Glantz (St. Catharines, Ont.). who recorded a game high 18 digs, helped kick start the Gaels. A Dakin ace gave the Gaels an 8-6 lead, but the Lancers would reply and even things up. Philippe Goyer (Ottawa, Ont.) and Scott Brunet (Calgary, Alta.) combined for a timely block for the Gaels, followed by a Goyer kill that gave Queens a 13-8 lead. A service error by the Lancers, their second of the set, gave Queen's the set and match victory.

Source: Queen's Sports Info


November 18 - Western @ Queen's

The Queens Gaels men's volleyball team (5-3) fought hard against the Western Mustangs (4-1), but fell narrowly 3-1 (28-30, 29-31, 25-19, 22-25).

The first two sets featured a bevy of lead changes, and stingy defense from both teams that made it difficult for either team to take a commanding lead. In the first, it was the Mustangs coming out strong, with Justin Scapinello (London, Ont.) recording six kills, and three timely blocks from middle Phil James (Ottawa, Ont.). Despite the Gaels forcing it to extra points, it was the Mustangs who took the first set. The second set featured seven Queen's errors, which gave Western an opportunity to take control. Strong play by Philippe Goyer (Ottawa, Ont.), who recorded 11 of his 28 kills in the set, kept the Gaels in the second; however three set aces by Western and a dominating defensive effort, allowed them to take a 2-0 set lead.

Philippe Goyer of the Gaels continued his authoritative play into the third set—recording eight kills and 2.5 blocks to help the Gaels down the Mustangs 25-19. The Gaels' offensive efficiency was set up by setter Jackson Dakin (Courtenay, B.C) who recorded 49 assists. The Gaels front line was dominating, with Mike Tomlinson (Stratford, Ont.) recording three kills and 1.5 blocks, and Dakin recording two kills and a block in the third. Goyer's 24th point of the match, a well placed kill into open court, gave the Gaels the third set victory.

The fourth set was much like the rest of the match and was deadlocked until the final points. A Tomlinson offside attack gave Queen's the early set lead, which Western answered to draw things even at nine. Two Dakin blocks restored the Gaels' two-point lead, which Western middle James quickly answered with his own block and kill. Queen's middle Scott Brunet (Calgary, Alta.) added two more blocks, making the Gaels' game total 10, to give Queens the 16-14 lead at the technical time out. However Tricolour errors, disciplined Mustangs defense and three timely successful offensive attacks gave Western a 23-21 lead closing in on the final points of the set. A costly Queen's service error match, and James recording his 11th kill of the match the Mustangs were able to claim the set and the match, 3-1.

Source: Queen's Sports Info


Waterloo @ McMaster

In a showdown for first-place in the OUA, the McMaster men’s volleyball team remained undefeated by taking down the visiting Waterloo Warriors in a tough four-set match.

Both McMaster and Waterloo entered the Sunday afternoon match with perfect 6 and 0 records, tied for top spot in the OUA. 

The Marauders led most of the way for the first set, until a late Waterloo push gave the Warriors the lead at 23-22.  McMaster then bore down and won the last three points to take the set 25-23.

The second set saw the Warriors start slow and trail McMaster 16-11 at the technical timeout.  But behind some terrific defense and timely offense Waterloo fought its way back and eventually took the lead at 22-21. Marauder Coach Dave Preston called a timeout to slow down the Warrior surge, and it worked as McMaster went up 24-23 with a chance to win the set.   Refusing to quit, the Warriors rallied and the teams went back and forth until Waterloo captured the second set 29-27.  It was the first set the Marauders have lost in OUA play so far this season.

McMaster stepped up the intensity in the third set, and controlled play en route to a 25-14 win to grab the 2-1 lead in the match.

Set number four looked like McMaster would end the match quickly as the Maroon raced out to a 9-3 lead.  After a Warrior timeout, the men from Waterloo started to climb back into the set and went ahead 14-13.   The teams continued to pace each other and Waterloo led 20-18, when Mac’s Kevin Stevens served five straight points to put his team ahead 23-20.  The Warriors kept coming but McMaster was able to take the set 25-23 and win the match to assume sole possession of first-place in the OUA.

The BIG MAC player of the game for the Marauders was setter Austin Campion-Smith, who had 46 assists and made several key sets that allowed Mac hitters to score at crucial moments.   Jayson McCarthy led the Marauders with 16 kills, while Tyson Alexander and Jori Mantha followed up with 10 kills each.

Source: McMaster Sports Info


Guelph @ York

The York University Lions men's volleyball team closed out a weekend home stand with a thrilling five-set come-from-behind victory over the Guelph Gryphons at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 18).

The Lions were facing a must-win fourth set after dropping the second and third by scores of 25-22 and 25-19 respectively, and dropped the first two points of the set. But the Lions never gave up, and after tying the set at 10 points apiece, they came together to win the fourth 25-19 and force the deciding set.

The Lions kept their pace, establishing an early fifth-set lead and never allowing the Gryphons the opportunity to recapture it en route to a 15-10 win in the deciding set, earning a much-needed 3-2 win.

York won the first set by a score of 25-19.

Ray Szeto (Sutton, Ont.) had the standout performance of the game, leading both teams in points with 29, 12 more than his closest competitor. Szeto boasted a tremendous 27 kills and his performance was bolstered with five digs and two blocked shots.

Felipe Humana-Paredes (Toronto) added to the Lions' victory with eight kills and seven blocks of his own. Setter Paul Jakubiak (Toronto) earned 48 assists in the effort, and Grant O'Gorman (Scarborough, Ont.) led the Lions on defence with 15 digs.

The Gryphons offence was more evenly distributed, with Winston Rosser (Whitby, Ont.) posting 15 kills and Andrew Whitaker (Sharon, Ont.) and Timothy Warnholtz (Guelph, Ont.) each adding 11 more. Setter Kevin Carey (Grand Prairie, Alta.) put up 43 assists and Rosser led the Gryphons in digs, with nine.

The victory improves the Lions record to 3-4, good enough to hold their sixth position in the OUA, while the Gryphons' loss drops their record to 1-6.

Source: York Sports Info