“Marc, how many aces did we have…eight?” asks men’s volleyball coach Orest Stanko. Eating a complimentary chocolate cupcake, Marc Arseneau shakes his head no. “More than that-I had three myself,” replies the Varsity Blues’ left side hitter. But really, after beating the McMaster Marauders handily in three sets yesterday at the AC, (25-15, 25-14, 25-13), who on the Blues bench is counting?
“Mac didn’t have their best group out today,” explains Stanko of his opponents’ rather poor showing. “Injuries have really taken their toll on the team.” Granted, the visiting team was playing without either of its two setters, leaving rookie Sean Panchel, who, according to Stanko, has “probably never set before,” to fill the void and shoulder the responsibility. And yes, McMaster made the Blues’ task doubly easy by racking up tons of errors. All excuses aside, however, it was the Varsity Blues’ day out on the court-and the boys put on a spectacular show.
Rows of rapt faces in the stands squealed with glee as the Blues drove holes into the sports gym’s hardwood. After Arseneau blasted a couple of hits to win the match, the room buzzed with the hum of victory. “Rather than being sloppy,” says Stanko of his team’s performance against a lesser squad, “we were pretty merciless.” Setter James Mackay took player of the game honours.
Next up for the Blues is a match-up this Wednesday against Ryerson, a rival in the TRY-Cup (Toronto, Ryerson, York) schedule, followed by conference play against Windsor and Queen’s next weekend. A win versus Ryerson would secure U of T a first-place standing heading into the Ontario University Association (OUA) playoffs, which begin Thursday, Feb. 12. Currently, the Blues sit on top of the OUA, with a 13-2 record.
