In a match that was eerily similar to the one between the two clubs 24 hours prior, the York University Lions men’s volleyball team pulled off a 3-2 victory over the Brock Badgers on Saturday night, one that culminated with an epic fifth set.
The Lions lost the first and third sets, while winning the second and fourth to necessitate the deciding fifth set. With everyone watching – fans, coaches and players alike – all on the edge of their seats, one Lion atoned for a tough night from the service line when it mattered most to seal the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The majority of the first set with a case of punch-counterpunch, with neither team leading by more than three at any point. The Lions led 14-11, before Brock made a run to take the lead late in the set. Four straight points made it 22-19, and the Badgers finished it off with a couple kills from Kylar Code to win the opening set 25-22.
In the second, the Badgers got out to a quick 4-1 lead before York rallied to level the score at 4. From there, it was more of the same from the first set. That was until a run of seven straight points from the Lions that opened up a 14-14 tie to 21-14. The Lions eventually took the set by a 25-19 count, with set point coming courtesy of an Alex Dorling kill to tie the match at 1-1.
After the second was marred by service errors (7 by York, 5 by Brock), the third set was the polar opposite – a clinic in serving – with three aces apiece. Shaun Schonert had two in a row to pull the Lions even at 11, but the Badgers took control back from there. While the Lions got to within two a couple times late, including 24-22, Brock survived and earned another 25-22 victory in the third to put the Lions on the brink.
York, however, responded in the fourth, and did so in what turned out to be decisive fashion. The teams were once again going point for point with one another until the midway point of the set. With the score knotted at 11, the visitors reeled off 10 of the next 13 points, and held a 21-14 advantage. They would eventually win the set by that same margin, 25-18, sending this match to a fifth and deciding set.
That fifth set was nothing short of crazy. There was no separation to speak of between the two teams, with neither team leading by more than two points at any given time, creating no shortage of drama. With the Badgers on match point, up 15-14, a game-saving kill from Luke De Greeff tied it at 15, ensuring extra points. From there, it was more of what we’d seen all night long – a tug of war, with neither team able to earn the requisite two-point advantage to take the match. There were 18 match point opportunities (10 for Brock, 8 for York) beyond regulation points. With the score level 31-31, Alex Ko dove headlong for a one-handed dig to keep the point alive, one the Lions eventually took. Then, three points later, with York up 33-32, De Greeff, who struggled serving all night, got one over the net, which forced an errant attack from Brock’s Devin Cooney. That gave the Lions a 34-32 set victory and their second straight five-set win over a hard-nosed Badgers club.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions, now 10-5 and in fourth in the OUA standings, headed out to Peterborough to face the Trent Excalibur on Friday night, Feb. 3. Action begins at 8:00 pm.
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