LIONS GLIDE PAST GAELS IN STRAIGHT SETS FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE NIGHT

The York University Lions men’s volleyball team completed a clean sweep of the Queen’s Gaels on Saturday night – in more ways than one.

Not only did the Lions win a second straight match over their combatants from Kingston; they did it in straight sets for a second night in a row. After falling behind early in both the first and second sets, the Lions rallied to take them both 25-22 and 25-23, respectively. The third set was a different story as the Lions led it essentially wire-to-wire en route to a 25-19 set victory to take the match 3-0. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Gaels started the game on the right foot, going up 6-2 early on. However the Lions’ attacking play from their outside hitters kept them in the game. In similar fashion to Friday,, both teams stood toe to toe for most of the set. Then, Lions substitute William Deschamps clinched the winning point for York with a ferocious ace, solidifying a 25-22 first-set win for York.
• The second set started with Queen’s taking the lead once more. Midway through the second set, Josh Fadare executed two successive kills, assisted by Jasraj Nijjar to put the Lions back on track.  With the set tied at 17, it was Andrew Tauhid with an ace of his own to put the Lions in the lead for the first time in the set. The Lions’ three-man wall then functioned successfully, blocking out two attacks from Queen’s to clinch the final points needed to win the set, 25-23.  
• The Lions kept their momentum into the third set, taking an early 7-3 lead, with Fadare once again proving his form by scoring 3 points. The Lions maintained control throughout the final set on the way to a 25-19 to take the match in three.

LOOKING AHEAD:

This victory puts the Lions on a three game winning streak, with an overall record of 7-3 and in 4th in the OUA. Up next, they visit the TMU Bold for a pair of games next weekend, looking to keep their hot streak alive. The first is set to be played on Friday, January 13th at 8:00 pm, followed by the rematch the following night, also at 8:00 pm.