Matt Dionne | Sports and Health Editor
Featured image: They spike the ball, and your heart rate, in a thriller against Ryerson, eventually smashing the Trent Excalibur. | Anton Mak
After a lengthy break, the Lions and Lionesses resumed their volleyball season on Saturday when they took on the Ryerson Rams.
In the men’s game, the first set needed extras, as Ryerson had the opportunity to win the set when they took a 24-23 lead, but York tied it up to force a win-by-two situation. Both teams would trade points in a back and forth battle that eventually saw York take the set by a score of 27-25.
The Rams took the next two straight sets by a score of 25-20, giving them a 2-1 lead that put them in position to take the match with a fourth-set victory.
However, York rallied in the fourth set, which again needed extras. The Lions would eventually win and tie the match by a score of 26-24 to force a fifth and final set.
The deciding set was an excellent display of volleyball skill, as both teams battled, but neither was able to pull away. It was a back and forth battle that never saw the lead grow beyond a single point, until Ryerson finally put the match away with a 16-14 victory.
Lions’ Alex Duncan-Thibault lead the team in scoring with 26 points, 21 kills and a serving ace, as well as a kill percentage of 32.5.
The women’s game was just as exciting, taking the full five sets to reach a decision.
Ryerson took the first set by a score of 25-21. The Rams looked dominant in the initial frame, jumping out to a 15-9 lead, and would never trail after that point.
The second set started off a lot closer, but the Rams eventually jumped out to a 14-9 lead that looked insurmountable. However, the Lionesses continued to fight and took an 18-16 lead.
Both teams would trade points en route to a 23-23 tie. The set was up for grabs and the Lionesses showed they wanted it more, scoring the next two points to win the set and even the match.
York rode the momentum of their second-set victory to a third-set victory that had them in position to take the match. Unfortunately, the Rams refused to go away, taking the fourth set with a dominant 25-13 victory and forcing a fifth set to determine the winner.
The Rams also took the fifth set by a score of 15-11 to take the match.
York’s Heather Setka lead the team in scoring with 17 points, 15 kills and a serving ace, while Celeste Witzell had 16 points, 11 kills and a serving ace.
Both teams looked to rebound on Sunday against the Trent Excalibur. The men dominated their first set, winning by a score of 25-12. The second set was a little closer, as both teams were tied at 17. However, York won the next three points to make the score 20-17, and they went on to win the set 25-23.
The third set went into extras, and saw both teams put up more than 30 points. With the score tied at 24, both teams traded points in a seesaw battle that the Lions finally won 32-30.
Lions’ leading scorer was Aleksander Grzegorczyk, who tallied 10 points and eight kills in a game that saw nearly every Lion contribute to the score sheet.
The women’s game was just as dominant, as the Lionesses also won in straight sets by scores of 25-12, 25-22 and 25-16.
Lioness Kayla Clennon led the way in scoring, notching 18 points and 16 kills.
Both teams have this week off before they return to the court on January 27, when they will be in Waterloo taking on the Warriors. The women’s game is at 6 p.m. while the men’s is at 8 p.m.
