The York University Lions volleyball teams hosted the Waterloo Warriors Saturday afternoon in the finale of their weekend series’. The men’s team looked to remain undefeated and improve to 4-0 for the first time since their OUA championship-winning season of 2004-05, while the women’s team was seeking revenge after taking their first loss of the season Friday night to the Warriors that dropped them to 2-1 on the season.
Women’s Match:
It was a hard-fought first set early, with both teams staying within striking distance. However, the Warriors began to pull away, taking a 12-6 lead, leading to the Lions taking their first timeout. A late rally led by Amarai Endes with three kills brought York to within three at 13-10, but ultimately it was Waterloo who took the first by a score of 25-15 and go up 1-0.
The Lions recovered and jumped out to a massive 13-4 lead in the second, with Victoria Herrington dropping multiple kills and delivering blistering serves that the Warriors had a tough time handling. As Waterloo began to get back in the set, the Lions kept the pressure on, winning more battles at the net, most notably with multiple kills from six-footer Julia Typa and Quinn McTavish. A final kill by Herrington sealed a Lions win of 25-20 and tied the match at one apiece.
The Warriors opened the third with a 8-4 lead, but the Lions were able to claw their way back. Led by Quincy Johnson, who broke out for multiple kills in the set, the Lions got it to within a point at 11-10 However, Waterloo regained control and closed out a 25-19 win, fighting off a York rally to go up 2-1.
Needing a win in the fourth to stay alive, the Lions went back and forth with the Warriors early, with Endes and Herrington keeping them afloat. However, heavy offensive pressure by Waterloo allowed them to pull away, leading by as much as seven, thanks in large part to Rachael Meilikhan’s multiple kills in the set. A service error from the Lions on match point sealed a Waterloo fourth-set win of 25-17, taking the overall victory in sets 3-1.
Men’s Match:
Without two of their top outside hitters in Alex Ko and Nathan Luken, the Lions came out strong, going up 7-2 in the opening set and led by two service aces and a kill by Martin Prinsloo. Dennis Cota’s four kills then propelled the Lions to a dominant first set win of 25-14 to go up 1-0.
Prinsloo continued his hot play with two more kills to open the second set, which helped erase an early Waterloo lead. However, the Warriors’ Lucas Redmann kept his squad in the match with two kills and a service ace of his own. In what was a much tighter set, the teams found themselves tied 24-24, necessitating extra points. The Lions slightly better precision at the net allowed earned them a hard-fought second set win, 27-25, to go up 2-0, closed by a dagger kill from none other than Prinsloo.
With York looking for the sweep, they went up 5-2 early in the third, and led by as many as four, 11-7, before play tightened up. With Waterloo now up 23-20, the Lions reeled off four of the next five points to tie it at 24-24 and go to extra points once again. The Lions took it down to the wire, with a score of 33-33. However, two errors by the Lions allowed the Warriors to take the set 35-33, making the match 2-1 and forcing a fourth set.
The Lions came out swinging in the fourth, taking advantage of failed serves by Waterloo and contesting heavily at the net. An 11-7 opening lead gave York some comfort, but the Warriors would not go down easily. The ever-present Prinsloo gave his team a 17-11 edge, and the Lions wouldn’t look back from there, as a flurry of Lions kills from Dan Lafleur, Alex Dorling and Chris Hoffman sealed a 25-18 set win for the Lions and a 3-1 victory, making them one of just three 4-0 teams in the OUA and one of just six undefeated teams in the country with at least three matches played in what is now the Lions best start in 20 years.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions teams will each remain home next weekend for a pair of games against the Western Mustangs beginning next Friday at 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. The women’s squad looks to atone for back-to-back losses, while the men’s team will look to continue their undefeated campaign. Coverage for both games will be available on OUA TV.
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