ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – For the first time in 36 years, the Guelph Gryphons will be represented at a men’s volleyball national championship. Saturday night (March 9) in St. Catharines, the Gryphons men’s volleyball team defeated the Brock Badgers in a five-set thriller. Set scores were 25-15, 35-33, 14-25, 18-25 & 15-11. With the victory, the Gryphons not only claim an OUA bronze medal, they also clinch the OUA’s final spot in the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championships, set to take place March 14-17 in Kingston. It marks the Gryphons first trip back to the national stage since the 1987-88 season, when the Gryphons hosted the then-CIAU Championships.
If Saturday night was to be Jonny Pickett’s final game in a Gryphon uniform, the All-Canadian talent made sure that it would be one to remember. The 6-foot-6 outside hitter from Wiarton, Ontario has put together a decorated career with the Gryphons men’s volleyball team ever since setting foot on campus. And Saturday night’s performance at Bob Davis Gymnasium might have been his best yet. Pickett finished the night with a remarkable 30 kills to help the Gryphons do something that no other OUA team has done this season: beat the Brock Badgers on their home court. The Badgers, who like the Gryphons posted a 15-5 record during the regular season, were a perfect 10-0 at Bob Davis Gymnasium on the season entering the night, but the Gryphons put an end to that streak with a sensational all-around team effort, led by Pickett.
After Guelph took the opening set in convincing fashion, the 2nd set would see the two teams go back-and-forth in a marathon that ultimately ended with Guelph winning 35-33 to take a commanding 2-sets-to-0 lead in the match. But the Badgers would storm back, winning each of the next two sets to force a decisive 5th set. While Jonny Pickett’s incredible 32.5 point and 30 kill performance in attack was the main storyline, perhaps his biggest play of the night came on the defensive end in the 5th set, where he made a desperation save to keep a rally alive, a rally which would ultimately end in a Cameron Chadwick kill to give Guelph a 12-8 lead in the final set.
The Gryphons would go on to put the match away thanks to contributions from throughout the lineup, including a key stuff from Alex Odle, and a pair of kills from talented middle Josh Glasbergen to seal Guelph’s 15-11, 5th-set victory, to the delight of a raucous group of Gryphon supporters who had made the trip to St. Catharines.
The Gryphons, who set a program-record with 15-wins during the regular season, will now look to keep their memorable 2023-24 season going with a national quarterfinal matchup coming up next week. Tournament seedings will be announced in the coming days.