NO. 6 BLUES FALL TO NO. 2 MARAUDERS IN FOUR-SET THRILLER

Box Score The No. 6 University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s volleyball team fell to the No. 2 McMaster Marauders 3-1 (23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 14-25) on Sunday, January 15 at Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
  
TORONTO STATS: Veterans Mitchelle Neuert and Evan Falardeau led the Blues with 12 points each. Neuert added 12 kills, while Falardeau had 11 kills and one block. He also had a game-high eight digs on the night.
 
Second-year setter Davis Young tallied 32 assists on the night.

Second-year left side Jayden Talsma, had 10 points and two blocks. Talsma also had a team-high 10 digs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: A tight battle from the very first serve, the matchup of these OUA’s perennial powerhouses may not have finished with the result fans wanted, but surely lived up to their expectations.
 
A back-and-forth first set saw neither team give an inch, with both teams within two points for nearly the entire set. Despite Talsma and Falardeau’s attacking efforts, the Marauders went on to claim the set with a score of 25-23.
 
The second set would see more of the same. The Marauders jumped out to an early lead, but the Blues worked quickly to even things up. In the end, the Marauders made the most of their late set momentum to finish the set ahead 25-21.
 
Leading the Marauders the entirety of the third set, the Blues claimed the third set handily, 25-18.

Despite leading through the beginning of the fourth set, the Blues would ultimately fall to the Marauders 25-14.

UP NEXT: The Blues return to action next Friday, January 20 on the road vs. the Windsor Lancers. First serve is set for 8:00 p.m.

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