LIONS DSARM EXCALIBUR IN FOUR SETS, TAKE FIRST OF WEEKEND GRUDGE MATCH

The York University Lions women’s volleyball team was in desperate need of a win, and they delivered just that on Friday night  at the Tait McKenzie Centre, orchestrating a 3-1 victory (25-15, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22) over the Trent Excalibur

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Lions took an early lead, thanks to Megan McDonald’s consecutive service aces, coupled with powerful kills from Alisa Trubyuk and Amari Endes, propelling them to a 7-2 advantage. The Lions continued to build on that strong start, playing solid volleyball on both sides of the ball, and ultimately took the first set 25-15, courtesy of a Victoria Herrington set-deciding kill. 
• The start of the second set was a closely contested, back-and-forth battle, resulting in a 6-6 deadlock. Subsequently, York surged ahead with five straight points to establish an 11-6 lead that prompted a timeout from Trent. Despite the Excalibur eventually narrowing the score to 22-20 through a late 7-3 run, Ella Rohani and Brooklyn Parliament rose to the occasion. Together, they notched three crucial kills, securing the second set for the Lions by a final score of 25-22.
• The third set mirrored the second, as neither team grabbed ahold of the set throughout. With the score knotted at 20 points apiece, it was the Excalibur who, executing a decisive 5-2 run. The visitors went on to secure the third set 25-22 and force a fourth set. 
• The Lions struck with eight of the first 12 points of the fourth set, grabbing an 8-4 lead, forcing Trent to call a timeout. Returning from the timeout, the Excalibur went on a 5-0 run to take a 9-8 lead. Midway through the set, with the Lions down 14-12, they rediscovered their stride and fired off to an 8-1 run to seize a 20-15 advantage. Despite Trent staging another run by Trent, this one a 6-1 spurt to level the score at 21, the Lions thwarted the Excalibur’s bid to force a fifth set. In the closing moments, Rohani posted  three crucial kills, securing a 25-22 set win for the Lions and a 3-1 match victory.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions will be right back at it tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Tait McKenzie Center for the second leg of the two-game series between the Trent Excalibur. The first serve is slated for 6:00 pm.