KINGSTON, Ont. – The Rams men’s volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (19-25, 20-25, 23-25) game to the reigning OUA champion Queen’s Gaels in the opening match of the season.
The Gaels home opener saw a veteran Queen’s team go up against a young Rams squad, with many Rams players making their OUA debuts on Friday night.
The home team came out strong, with the Queen’s defence giving them the edge to lead 16-11 halfway through the opening set. The Rams clawed back however, with outside hitter Derek Webster making a collection of needed offensive plays to bring the Rams down only three at 20-17. The Gaels had an answer of their own, with a series of Liam Wilson serves to lead the Gaels to a 25-19 first set win.
The Rams had more errors than kills in the opening set, giving the Gaels the breathing room to lead the entire set.
The Rams had a much stronger opening to their second set, with a 9-7 lead to start thanks to the athletic offensive plays of outside rookie Jacob Walker. Luckily for the Gaels, fifth year middle blocker Julian Krygel was on the service line, giving Queen’s three straight aces to initiate a run. With five service aces in the second set alone, the Gaels ran away with the second set, taking it 25-20.
The Rams played their best volleyball in the third set however, with Walker and libero Lhexen Rabit making plays to give the Rams a 20-16 lead. A collection of errors on the Rams side and outstanding blocks from the Gaels brought Queen’s back level at 20-20, and the Gaels once again pulled away with third year outside Erik Siksna getting the winning hit.
Similar to the women’s volleyball match, the Rams had an encouraging display against a strong side, with Walker, Alex Lengweiler, Lucas Yang, Adrian Gaspar and Ben Davey all making their OUA debuts on Friday night.
The Rams will be back on Saturday for a rematch against the Gaels at the Queen’s Athletics & Recreation Centre at 5 p.m.