The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s volleyball team hung on to beat the Nippissing Lakers 3–0 in its home opener.
The Blues managed to shut out the Lakers, but the shutout belied a worthy adversary for the Blues. Each game featured several lead changes and provided the near-capacity crowd with an exciting game to which the boxscore couldn’t do justice.
After barely getting by the Lakers in the first set 25–21, the Blues’ biggest scare came in the second set, when the Lakers were up 11–8 and poised to take the second set with strong all-around play. The Lakers’ Frankie Edgecombe was their most notable player, with nine kills on the day. However, the Blues went on a five-point run after a much-needed timeout and took the lead back, eventually winning the set 25–19.
The game’s most noteworthy performance came from third-year player Jake Dysselhof. Dysselhof made seven kills, five digs, and five serving aces. Most notably, he finished the game on a service ace that a Lakers player made feeble contact with. The Blues finished off the final set with their most comfortable lead of the day, 25–17.
This was the Blues’ first win of the year after a disappointing loss to the Ryerson Rams. On Sunday, the Blue fell to the York Lions 3–1, bringing their season record to 1–2. They will play McMaster on November 2 and try to even their record to 2–2.
