The Brock Badgers men’s volleyball team were defeated in three straight sets (21-25, 18-25, 21-25) against the No. 4 Queen’s Gaels on Sunday, Nov. 19 in Kingston.
Outside hitter Devin Cooney led the Badgers with eight kills in the loss. Fourth-year setter Grant Reddon was the Badgers’ assist leader with 16 while third-year outside hitter Kyler Code picked up a Brock-best three digs.
After the Gaels came out strong in the initial stages of the opening set, an ace from Code cut Queen’s lead down to just two at 7-5. Queen’s took a strong lead after a string of service errors, prompting a Brock timeout.
Following the break, a kill from Jacob Ferland made it a three-point game. A kill from senior outside hitter Sauli Lianga and a block from Code brought Brock within two to help the Badgers stay in the set. However, Queen’s closed out the first, taking it 25-21.
The second set saw the Badgers take a brief 5-3 lead before falling behind against the Gaels. Cooney picked up five kills in the set, including one that brought Brock level at 11-11. The Gaels once again found rhythm in the latter half of the second set, winning 25-18.
Looking to bounce back, a kill from Ferland gave the Badgers an 8-7 in the third set. Back-to-back aces from Grant Reddon helped Brock cut the deficit down to two after the Gaels took a substantial lead in the middle of the set. The Badgers put a strong fight to extend the set, but a service ace from Queen’s iced the game.
Up next, the Brock Badgers (4-2) will host the Trent Excalibur on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Bob Davis Gymnasium at 12 p.m..