The York University Lions men’s volleyball team took on the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday afternoon in search of their fourth consecutive victory to cement their postseason position.
They did just that, closing out their road schedule in style with a straight sets victory, 25-21, 30-28, 25-17. With the win they move up third in the standings with a 12-5 record, pending the result of Saturday night’s Toronto-TMU match.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Lions took a quick 11-6 advantage in the first set, but not long after the Gryphons responded, trimming the deficit to 14-12. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair until late in the frame.
With the set on the line, Luke de Greeffrecorded three consecutive kills to lift his team to a 25-21 opening-set win.
The Lions took control of the second set around its midway point. They led by five on five separate occasions in the set. However, the Gryphons continued to battle, and eventually tied it at 24, forcing extra points. With the score knotted at 28, an attack error by Guelph’s Joshua Glasbergen and a kill by Jasraj Nijjar paved the way for a 30-28 second set victory for York, putting Guelph on the verge of defeat.
The Lions kept their momentum alive into the third, as they got off to a 7-2 lead. The Lions continued to set the pace for the remainder of the set, and Andrew Tauhid connected for the contest’s final kill en route to a 25-17 Lions win in the final set to sweep away the Gryphons.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions will return to home court to play their final three regular-season games against the two top teams at the Tait McKenzie Centre. The first of the three gets underway on Friday, Feb. 11, when the Lions host the undefeated McMaster Marauders. First serve flies at 8 pm.