The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s volleyball team lost to the undefeated McMaster Marauders in straight sets (25–20, 25–10, 27–25) on Friday night at the U of T Athletic Centre.
Although the Blues lost in three sets, the match was tightly contested throughout the majority of the game.
CAROLYN LEVETT/THE VARSITY
The first set went back and forth, with the Marauders eventually winning 25–20. The second set did not go as well for the Blues; the Marauders won 25–10.
The Blues were undeterred by the dominance that the Marauders demonstrated in the second set; they found themselves down 8–3 early in the frame, but showed impressive resolve for a ninth–place team by sticking with the Marauders, eventually taking the lead 16–14.
In a tight end to the frame, the Marauders eventually overtook the Blues, 27–25, with the first-place Ontario University Athletics (OUA) team needing to go into extras to seal the win.
Veteran left-side hitter Jake Dysselhof was noticeably absent from the court; he was seen in a suit on the sideline cheering his team on. Dysselhof was missed on a night where the Blues showed they could compete with the best teams in the OUA.
Dysselhof leads the team in kills, aces, and digs (115, 15, 77). In his absence, the team fared well, with fellow veteran left-side hitter Dave Merritt leading the Blues with six kills on the day, while rookie right-side hitter Will Colucci chipped in four kills and three blocks.
With the loss, the Blues drop to ninth place and the Marauders stay undefeated and atop the OUA. The Blues take on Windsor and Western at home next weekend with hopes of keeping their slim playoff hope alive.
