On December 2, the Varsity Blues men’s volleyball team beat the Brock Badgers with a striking 3–0 win, securing their six-game winning streak this season. Thus far, the Blues have only lost one game, at the start of their season, and are placed second overall at 7–1 with a .875 win percentage.
The game
From the start of the match, there was a strong intensity from both the Badgers and the Blues. Coming off of a Friday night loss to the Blues, the Badgers were determined to flip the narrative and take home the win. The score throughout the first set remained extremely close until the last few plays, where the Badgers scored three points back to back and won 25–22.
This fired up the opposing team and gave them the confidence to take control of the second set, securing an earlier lead of 12–9. From that point on, it was difficult for the Blues to catch up, and the Badgers won the second set with a score of 25–19.
However, the Blues did not give up and used this as motivation to come back even stronger in the third set. Evan Falardeau, a left side for the Blues, said, “Each one of us had to make a change and bring some energy,” which is just what they did to go up 13 points and finish with a score of 25–12 at the end of the third.
Although the Badgers put up a good fight in the fourth set, the Blues were on a roll and had no intentions of slowing down. They took a small lead of 21–19 near the end of the set and were able to secure a close 25–22 win from that point on.
The Blues knew they had to give it everything they had in the final set to take home the win and maintain their winning streak. They were able to break free of the Badgers defense and won 15–10, with a five point lead, giving them the win at 3-2.
Home court advantage is more important for the Blues than you may think. Falardeau said one of his favourite parts of playing at home is the fans and the energy they bring. He had an incredible performance, carrying his team in both points, with 30, and kills, with 28.
What’s next
After tonight’s game, the Blues remain in second place overall at 8-1 and now have a .889 win percentage.
The Blues are off to enjoy their winter break and do not play until the new year, when they will face the Guelph Gryphons on their home court on January 7. The Blues and Gryphons have yet to face each other this season, but the Gryphons are not far behind the Blues in standings: the Gryphons are ranked fourth overall at 6-3, with a current win percentage of .667.
