On Nov. 21, the Waterloo Warriors men’s volleyball team faced the University of Toronto Blues in the PAC. Going into this game the men’s volleyball team had a record of 5–4, winning two in a row versus RMC and Queen’s and looked to continue their momentum against a subpar, 2–6 UofT team.
In the first set, the Warriors were able to gain an early lead with a score of 4–1 and from there the teams alternated points until the Blues were able to score three straight points and tie it up 13–13. The Warriors quickly responded scoring five points in a row and were able to hold on to the lead, taking the first set 25–19.
In the second set, the Warriors were once again able to jump out to a quick lead with a score of 9–2, as their strong blocking shut down the Blues’ offence. The Blues were able to cut the lead down to four but were unable to catch up, with the Warriors winning the set 25–17.
The third set saw more of the same — Warrior dominance. Coach Lawson was determined to take the match in three sets as he did not sub out any of his starters, despite winning the first two sets in decisive fashion. The Warriors’ strong offence kept the Blues on the back of their heels as UofT was never able to score more than three points in a row resulting in the Warriors vanquishing the Blues, taking the third and decisive set 25–14.
The Warriors took the match in straight sets and avoided the upset with a final score of 25–19, 25–17, 25–14. The team improved their record to 6–4, good enough for fifth in the OUA.
UofT only led twice in the entire match and both times occurred during the first point of the first and second sets, when the score was 1–0 in their favour, further proving the Warriors’ dominance in this match.
The Warriors’ offence was well-balanced as middle Jordan Dyck led the way with 11 kills. Aidan Simone, Zachary Doherty, and Jordan McConkey each had seven kills. Setter Nikola Dimitrijevic contributed with 32 assists while only committing one error.
On the defensive end, Dyck was dominant at the net with nine blocks, while Jordan McConkey chipped in with five blocks of his own. Libero Erich Woolley was his usual effective self, leading the team with 16 digs. Overall, the Warriors’ defence only allowed 28 kills from UofT in the entire match.
The Warriors will look to add another win to their three-game winning streak against a tough 7–2 Guelph team on Nov. 28 in the PAC.
