Gryphon Playoff Preview (March 12-17, 2024): Three Gryphon Teams in Postseason Action During Final Week of 2023-24 Season

GUELPH, Ont. – From Tuesday, March 12 to Sunday, March 17, 2024, three Gryphon varsity teams are featured in what is the final Gryphon Playoff Preview of the 2023-24 season. The Gryphons men’s volleyball team returns to the national championship tournament for the first time in 36 years and will face off with the top-seeded Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Thursday night in Kingston. The Gryphons men’s curling team is also at nationals, as they begin play on Tuesday night in Fredericton in Draw 1 of the 2024 U SPORTS/Curling Canada Curling Championships. Rounding out the Gryphons varsity postseason action this week is the U of G men’s fencing team, who head to Ottawa for the 2024 OUA Men’s Fencing Championships (March 16-17).
 

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

2024 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championships
Thursday, March 14 – Sunday, March 17, 2024
U SPORTS Quarterfinal: No. 8-seed Guelph vs No. 1-seed Sherbrooke (Thursday, March 14, 2024 – 8pm)
Tickets | Live Stream
ARC Gymnasium (Queen’s University) | Kingston, ON

The Guelph Gryphons men’s volleyball team returns to the national championship tournament for the first time since the 1987-88 season, thanks to an OUA bronze medal victory over Brock on March 9 in what was a thrilling, five-set match in St. Catharines. Now, the Gryphons turn their attention to the No. 1-ranked team in the country in Quebec champions, the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, who had an undefeated run through the RSEQ regular season and playoffs, are the top seed heading into the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship.
 
The quarterfinals will be played on Thursday, March 14 as follows: (all times Eastern)

• Noon: No. 7 Laval vs. No. 2 Alberta
• 2 p.m.: No. 6 UBC vs. No. 3 McMaster
• 6 p.m.: No. 4 Trinity Western at No. 5 Queen’s
• 8 p.m.: No. 8 Guelph vs. No. 1 Sherbrooke
   

The semifinals will take place on Friday, March 15 at 6 and 8 p.m., with the consolation games set for 4 and 6 p.m on Saturday. On Sunday, the fifth-place game is set for 1 p.m., with the bronze medal game following at 3 p.m. and the championship game at 7 p.m.
 
All 11 games from the event will be broadcast live on CBC Sports digital platforms in English. In French, the games will be carried on Radio Canada’s digital platforms (French). The full schedule will be available throughout the tournament at usports.ca/en/broadcast.
  
The complete field, in seeding order, is as follows:

1. Sherbrooke Vert & Or (RSEQ champions, 16-0 regular season, 4-0 playoffs)
    
2. Alberta Golden Bears (CW champions, 18-6, 5-1)
    
3. McMaster Marauders (OUA champions, 16-4, 3-0)
    
4. Trinity Western Spartans (CW finalists: 16-8, 4-2)
    
5. Queen’s Gaels (OUA finalists, 15-5, 2-1)
    
6. UBC Thunderbirds (CW bronze medallists, 16-8, 3-2)
    
7. Laval Rouge et Or (RSEQ finalists, 10-6, 2-2)
    
8. Guelph Gryphons (OUA bronze medallists, 15-5, 2-1) 
    

MEN’S CURLING

Tuesday, March 11 – Saturday, March 16, 2024
Fredericton, New Brunswick (hosted by UNB) | UNB Aitken Centre & Capital Winter Curling Club
Results | Homepage (Curling Canada) | Participating Teams

After claiming bronze at the 2024 OUA Curling Championships, the Guelph Gryphons men’s curling team heads to Fredericton, New Brunswick looking to claim the first national title in program history. Heading to Atlantic Canada to represent the University of Guelph is skip Jayden King, Daniel Del Conte (lead), Gavin Lydiate (second), Carter Bryant (alternate), and Dylan Niepgae (vice). This season, the winner of the U SPORTS Curling Championships will also receive the honour of representing Canada at the 2025 FISU World University Games in Torin, Italy. 

The Gryphons get their 2024 nationals underway on Tuesday night (8:30pm ET) against the St. Mary’s Huskies. The Gryphons will play a total of seven universities from across the country during pool play, which wraps up on Friday, March 15, with the national semifinals and finals set for Saturday, March 16. Selected games from the U SPORTS and CCAA Championships will be streamed live on Curling Canada+. 
 
Gryphons Men’s Curling Schedule — 2024 U SPORTS/Curling Canada Championships
 
Tuesday, March 12 | 8:30pm (ET) vs St. Mary’s
 
Wednesday, March 13 | 11:30am (ET) vs Alberta
Wednesday, March 13 | 7:30pm (ET) vs Regina
 
Thursday, March 14 | 11:30am (ET) vs Brock
Thursday, March 14 | 7:30pm (ET) vs Dalhousie
 
Friday, March 15 | 7:30am (ET) vs UNB
Friday, March 15 | 3:30pm (ET) vs Laurier
 
Saturday, March 16 | 8:30am (ET) – semifinals
Saturday, March 16 | 1:30pm (ET) – finals
 

MEN’S FENCING

2024 OUA Men’s Fencing Championships
Saturday, March 16 – Sunday, March 17, 2024
Ey Centre | Ottawa, ON

A total of six members of the Guelph Gryphons varsity men’s fencing program will make their way to the EY Centre in Ottawa this weekend for the 2024 OUA Men’s Fencing Championships. The two-day conference championship event is set to get underway on Saturday (March 16) before wrapping up on Saturday (March 17).

Gryphon Student-Athletes Competing at the 2024 OUA Men’s Fencing Championships:

Adam Buczek
Benjamin Roe
Simon Parna-Gille
Campbell Merer
Noah Albrecht
Finnan Lang

SCHEDULE
 
Saturday, March 16
7:00 AM Venue opens
8:00 AM Check in – Foil and Epee
8:00 AM Weapons Check
8:00 AM Technical Meeting
8:30 AM Event Start – Men’s Foil Individual
8:30 AM Event Start – Men’s Epee Individual
9:30 AM Check in – Sabre
10:30 AM Event Start – Men’s Sabre Individual
3:30 – 5:30 PM Semi-Finals and Finals
5:30 PM Coaches confirm Team event participants
 
Sunday March 17
7:00 AM Venue opens
8:00 AM Check in – All weapons
8:00 AM Technical meeting
8:30 AM Event start – Men’s Foil Team Relay
8:30 AM Event start – Men’s Epee Team Relay
8:30 AM Event start – Men’s Sabre Team Relay
2:45 – 4:30 PM Medal Matches
4:30 PM Medal and OUA Banner Presentation