OUA Preview: Men’s Volleyball vies for first OUA Championship title

By Andrew Papadopoulos

Only two teams remain in the hunt for the prestigious Forsyth Cup which is awarded to the top team in OUA men’s volleyball every year. 
 
For the first time in the program’s history the Windsor Lancers will get to play for it after they punched their ticket to the OUA Finals and a later return appearance in quick succession U SPORTS Nationals with their 3-1 semi-final win over the Toronto Varsity Blues back on Saturday March 4th at the Toldo Lancer Centre in front of a tumultuous hometown crowd in attendance to witness the accomplishment of the historical feat. 
 
Head coach James Gravelle was quite pleased with his team’s semi-final performance last Saturday in battling back from a 1-0 match deficit to Toronto and being down 6-0 to open the second set and overcoming those struggles to earn the resilient comeback victory.
 
“I was very impressed with how the team dealt with adversity on Saturday versus Toronto.” Gravelle stated for the record while reciting his assessment of his team’s play in their recent playoff match.
 
“After battling back from a large deficit and having set point in our favour, we lost the first set and yet it did not deflate the boys.  Rather, it helped focus and define what would be a strong next three sets for our squad.”
 
It has already been a whirlwind of events in quick succession since the milestone semi-final victory over the Varsity Blues where the Lancers solidified their position as a top two team in Ontario this season with a gold or silver medal guaranteed to be brought home for the first time.
 
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, four Lancer players were named as league all-stars with Anthony DeGirolamo and Zach Albert being named first team all-stars while Luca Nastase and Gustavo Siqueira were named second team all-stars. 
 
Coach Gravelle was also awarded the Coach of the Year honours for 2023, a well-deserved achievement of recognition based around his perennial efforts in leading the blue and gold to developmental success which includes two OUA bronze medals, two national championship appearances (counting the upcoming one later this month) and now to the OUA championships for the first time ever since the program’s debut season back in 1985-86.
 
“Playing in the OUA championship match is a great opportunity and it isn’t lost on any of us.” Gravelle avowed when asked what it means to be playing the OUA finals for the first time as a coach and despite never making past the semis previously as a player or coach. 
 
“Many (Lancer volleyball) alumni have reached out to us, including many of my own former teammates, to offer encouragement and so we want to put in a great performance on Saturday to continue to make them proud.”
 
On Wednesday, the team also moved up two spots in the recent and final U SPORTS rankings of the 2022-23 competition year with a finalized nationwide ranking of fifth in the country. 
 
With so much success accomplished in the last week that has derived from a strong season and current storied post-season run, the Lancer gentlemen now have their sights set on the McMaster Marauders as they get set to travel to Hamilton for back-to-back weekends. 
 
However, on Saturday March 11th at 6:00pm, their eyes will be on the provincial prize first as they go for gold and a banner against the Marauders.  he Marauders who won their semi-final match up over the York Lions with a convincing 3-0 home win which earned their way to the finals again where they are notoriously featured in recent years and officially a berth into U SPORTS nationals despite already unofficially qualifying as the host team for nationals.
 
Coach Gravelle recognizes that the top ranked Marauders who are higher seeded having locked up the first-place spot in the OUA this season with their overall 18-2 record are going to be toughest test the Lancers will face all year.
 
“McMaster is a very tough opponent.” Gravelle affirmed when referring to the provincial powerhouse who is currently ranked third in Canada after the recent U SPORTS rankings were released on Wednesday.
 
“They are long and very talented at every position so it’s no surprise that they are the #1 team in our conference.  They present match-up challenges for us all over the floor and we will need to be very focused to have a chance to pull off an upset on Saturday.”
 
The Lancers head in as the underdogs but they are no slouch by any indication after posting a 15-5 season record and earning the second seed in the OUA standings along with consistent Top 10 U SPORTS all year long which has now been climaxed at #5 ranked in the nation. 
 
But both squads did not take the court to face one another this season to date so that will undoubtedly add to the excitement and buzz heading into the contest at the Burridge Gymnasium in Hamilton where the Lancers will play their remaining matches this season with McMaster hosting the following week’s national championships.
 
“Our team is familiar with the McMaster gym even though we did not play there this season.” Coach Gravelle asserted with reassuring confidence when asked what it will be like going to play the championships and beyond as visitors in McMaster territory. 
 
“We have a veteran team who have experience in hostile environments, including a 5-set battle versus McMaster in the playoffs last season.  We look forward to the challenge of going on the road to play this match.”
 
When asked if the team has now formally established themselves as legitimate league contenders with a solid shot at winning the OUA title this season, or even a silver medal which in and of itself would place them higher than what they have achieved over the past five years with two OUA bronze medals captured in 2018 and 2019 respectively, Coach Gravelle overtly stated that this coup does not change the perception of the program or assessment of this team all that much with this success under their belts. 
 
“I won’t think of our team differently now that we have qualified for the OUA final.” Gravelle declared who has been in control of the program since the 2013-14 season after previously serving as an assistant coach for two seasons prior. 
 
“We have always gone into every match with a winning mindset and focus and nothing changes in that regard.  The chance to play in the OUA final is special but I believe that the boys will be up for the challenge, as they have been throughout this entire season.”
 
A challenge it will indeed be as devoted OUA and U SPORTS volleyball fans somewhat quiver any time McMaster volleyball is mentioned with the Marauders well-known reputation of being a prominent perpetual powerhouse program. However, this marquee matchup will prove to be the ultimate battle of gladiators on Saturday night at 6:00pm in the Burridge Gymnasium. 
 
FAN BUS
There is a Lancer fan bus that has limited seating available for $25 for the Lancer family brave and faithful super fans looking to travel up to Hamilton to be in the gym to support the blue and gold boys in action on Saturday. The price includes transportation to the game and their game ticket. Seats can be reserved by clicking here: https://bit.ly/41TojDZ
 
WATCH
For fans looking to tune in from outside of gym, the championship game will be broadcasted live on OUA.tv for fans to take in as the Windsor Lancers go for their first men’s volleyball title.